Boats Group

Miami – September 30, 2026 -- Analysis of more than 2.5 million boats across Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia found that just 6% to 13% of repeat buyers stay with the same manufacturer on their next purchase, according to new data from Boats Group.

Repeat owners make up a quarter of the market but rarely return to the same brand

Boats Group identified approximately 637,000 repeat owners—those associated with two or more boats—among the records studied. Repeat owners represented 25.6% of owners in Florida, 31.3% in Ohio, 20.6% in Virginia, and 18.0% in Texas. Despite this scale, brand loyalty on the next purchase ranged from just 6% to 13% across all four states.

Miami – September 28, 2026 -- Boats Group, operator of YachtWorld and Boat Trader, has appointed marine journalist Jack Haines to expand its original video, editorial and social media content across its marketplaces.

Haines brings 15 years of sea trial and editorial experience to Boats Group

Haines joins after serving as Reviews Director at YachtBuyer and previously as Deputy Editor at Motor Boat & Yachting. Over his career he has evaluated hundreds of vessels, building a reputation for detailed, real-world assessments of performance, design and on-water usability.

Miami – September 19, 2026 -- Boats Group has expanded eligibility for co-op reimbursement to dealers across six Malibu Boats Group brands, allowing them to recoup 50% of costs for platform membership and digital marketing solutions.

Six Malibu-owned brands gain co-op access to Boats Group marketing tools

The program, officially launched at the Cobalt Dealer Meeting last week, covers authorized dealers representing Malibu, Axis, Pathfinder, Cobia, Pursuit and Cobalt. Eligible dealers can now claim 50% co-op reimbursement through Malibu's existing dealer co-op program for Boats Group membership fees and qualifying digital marketing products, including New Boat Listings, Spotlight Listings, Homepage Hero advertising and Geo/Precision Targeting campaigns.

Miami – September 18, 2026 -- Boats Group has rolled out a major redesign of its ProSeller Platform on BoatWizard, reporting that total engagement actions on the new Boat Detail Page rose 55% and Share Link usage climbed 86% between July and August.

Boats Group redesigns search, saved search and listing pages for professional sellers

The refresh introduces a redesigned Search Results Page, an enhanced Saved Search experience, and a rebuilt Boat Detail Page, aimed at helping professional sellers find, compare, manage and share inventory more efficiently. The updates are available immediately to all Boats Group customers.

Miami – September 11, 2026 -- Boats Group customer data shows a Mid-Atlantic brokerage generated 494% more boat detail page views after raising its average listing score by just 5%, as the marketplace operator pushes brokers and dealers to optimize inventory ahead of fall boat show season.

The company reports marketplace traffic climbs approximately 30% in the weeks surrounding major boat shows, as buyers research brands and compare models before and after visiting docks. Boats Group says listing quality during that window directly determines which sellers capture buyer attention.