Opinion: No Black Friday for yacht buyers
YACHT
· 26.11.2022
Dear readers,
I don't know how you feel about the hype surrounding yesterday's world discount day. When it comes to the super special offers that inescapably hit us, I always get the feeling that it's either discontinued goods that are being sold off or that all the other customers who buy before and after are involuntarily helping to finance the Black Friday offers. That's why I try not to get sucked into the bargain maelstrom in the first place.
The water sports market doesn't seem to be fully participating in the circus anyway. There were a few "BlkFri" promo code offers, but not across the board. Navigare Yachting, for example, enticed charter companies with a "Best.Friday.Ever" offer. However, the 25 per cent discount disappeared from the website within a short time. Others left it at the usual early booking deal, which was granted anyway. Istion only added a free SUP rental board to the five per cent discount. Among the outfitters, A. W. Niemeyer offered "10 per cent off everything*", with the asterisk describing a few exceptions. SVB simply remodelled its "Chilli Deal", which it has been offering for several years, into a "Black Chilli Deal".
In fact, things will become more expensive rather than cheaper for yacht owners and those who want to become one. This is due to the increased prices for raw materials, primary products and components, the general rise in energy costs and the wage increases that will soon follow. Why should the boat industry be any different to the car industry, for example? The factors mentioned above, as well as the strong demand caused by the coronavirus, have also led to considerable leaps. A lower mid-range car now costs 35 to 45 per cent more than it did five years ago.
In yacht building, new prices have climbed even higher in some cases. Dufour is currently asking 185,000 euros for its latest 33-foot model (which is probably why it is called the Dufour 37), mind you, with the basic equipment; with full equipment, you can even get to more than 300,000 euros - for a completely normal ten-metre cruising boat. Today, a Dehler 38 costs at least 254,000 euros, with the comfort package as defined by YACHT it is almost 295,000 euros, with all the bells and whistles around 350,000 euros. For comparison: ten years ago, the brand's successful model was still listed at 153,000 euros.
Will this continue? Probably yes. Because the shipyards need these revenues. Hardly any series boat builders generate really adequate profits, not even in the past boom years. However, yachting will inevitably become a pure luxury market and the number of units will dwindle, which in turn could lead to even higher prices. An upward spiral that leads downwards. Even Black Friday won't help.
Jochen Rieker,Editor-in-Chief YACHT
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