The German market for school bags increases by 17.1% in 2022. In 2022, 1.6 million school bags and backpacks were sold in Germany (for schoolchildren up to 11 years old), representing a quantity growth of 17.1%. This increase reflects the gradual return to normalcy after the pandemic-related restrictions in the school sector, leading to increased demand, especially for school backpacks, as shown by a recent study by InterConnection Consulting.

Anticipating Sustainable Growth in 2023

Between enrollment and the age of 11, German children, on average, receive a school bag and later a school backpack. “Corona has particularly affected the market for school backpacks, while the demand for school bags at enrollment hardly declined,” notes Panorea Kaskani, the author of the study. For the next years, a constant growth of 1.2% per year can be expected, as births in Germany increased ten years ago.

Inflation halts the growth of premium manufacturers.

In recent years, the premium segment in the German school bag market has grown significantly. In 2022, 51.0% were sold in the segment above €201. There is now a turning point. High inflation leads to cheaper brands being preferred due to tight household budgets. The segment above €201 decreases by -1.8% in 2023.

Important players Ergobag and Step by Step for school bags

In addition to Ergobag and Step by Step, competitors include the school bag manufacturers Scout, Herlitz and DerDieDas.

It is noteworthy that non-German companies such as Beckmann and Schneiders Bags are increasingly gaining popularity among parents. The cumulative market share of the top 5 companies is currently around 59%, indicating that both German and non-German actors contribute significantly to market dynamics.

The boat market in Europe saw a decline in sales of -0.1% last year. Turnover in the industry increased by 1.6% and now stands at 3.8 billion Eur. Even until 2021, the stagnation of the market does not seem to change much, as a new study by Interconnection Consulting shows.

Spain hooey, Great Britain phooey

The outlook for the boat market is rated less optimistic in many places than it was last year. This is mainly due to the trading tensions, which make the companies more cautious. Even the Brexit, where the solution is still awaiting makes the markets insecure and affects spending, especially in Europe. A total of 31,543 boats were sold in Europe in 2018. The largest market is Germany with a share of 20.9%, ahead of France with 14.1%. The highest growth rates were achieved by the Spanish boat market with a sales increase of 3.0%. With this increase, the market is only just behind the UK, which saw the largest decline among European markets.

Catamarans are coming

The catamarans are the fastest growing product segment and will increase their market share from today’s 5.5% to 6.2% by 2021. Motorboats are by far the strongest product group with a share of 71.9%. The market share will hardly change in the next few years. The sailboats segment, on the other hand, will lose ground, which is due to the fact, that new generation is not that interested in sailing and boating in general says, Hudak as responsible analyst for area of boating.

Hard competition

Shifting demand for sailboats towards catamarans also impacts the production market. A reduction of sailboat producers is already evident today, while the number of catamaran manufacturers is increasing significantly. The competition among the producers is very tough, which increases the pressure on the price, which in turn benefits the customers, as Jan Hudak, author of the study, explains. Bavaria, one of the largest manufacturers in Germany, had to file for bankruptcy last year, but was taken over by an investment fund and was able to continue its business. Other big manufacturers are Frauscher, Grand Soleil, Sirena Marine, Beneteau.

The market for pleasure boats rose worldwide last year by 3.9% to 17.6 billion Eur. Despite the increase, the signs of market saturation are obvious and strong growth in the future is questionable. Thus, the average sales growth will fall below two percent until 2021, according to a new study conducted by Interconnection Consulting.

China stutters

The outlook for the global economy is rated less optimistic in many places than it was last year. This is mainly due to the trade tensions, which make the companies more cautious. Even the Brexit suffering, where the solution is still awaiting makes the markets insecure and affects spending, especially in Europe. With a global market share of 35.8%, the US is by far the largest boat market, followed by Europe with 21.8%. The largest growth market is traditionally the Asian market. So is the region of Southeast Asia with a growth of 9% (2016-17), the strongest growing region in the world. Markets that gain market share through higher growth are e.g. Northwest Africa, Southeast Africa, Australia, the Middle East and China, but in a global merit, they remain rather small. However, the golden times of the former growth engine China are also over. “The slower pace of growth will also affect the surrounding markets in Asia in the medium term,” says Jan Hudak, author of the study.

Catamarans stabilize the market

The fastest growing product segment is catamarans with a CAGR 17-21 of 4.2% in quantity. Sales of this product group increased by 6.2% in 2018. The growth of motorboats will not be quite as spectacular with a CAGR 17-21 of 2.2%. By contrast, sales of sailboats will stagnate over the next few years (CAGR 17-21 -0.1%).

Strong competition

In total there are more than 1,500 boat and catamaran producers worldwide. As a result of rising demand, the number of catamaran manufacturers is rising at the steepest rate, while the number of sailboat producers is falling for the same reasons. The competition among the producers is very tough, which increases the pressure on the price, which benefits customers, as Hudak concludes. Major producers include Beneteau, Azimut, Sirena Marine, Princess, Sunseeker, Brunswick Group, Grand Soleil and Frauscher.