Concern grows around white-label, lower-priced marine safety products
According to Mustang Survival president, Kenny Ballard, the safety equipment sector is seeing an increased percentage in white-label, lower-priced products in the marketplace, which in turn is putting pressure on manufacturers to refine their value proposition and messaging to both existing and future end users.
Increasingly, safety equipment businesses are adjusting to shifting purchasing patterns and market dilution, while also needing to wisely consider consumer environmentalism in their product messaging.
In today’s unsettled waters, markets are tricky to anticipate, thus Mustang Survival says brand equity is evermore critical. “With geopolitical and economic uncertainty potentially impacting consumer confidence and spending, we are focusing on delivering value and reinforcing our nearly 60 years of experience as a leader in on-the-water safety and performance. We are also more clearly defining which end users we are focusing on.”
Ballard took over responsibilities at Mustang Survival in 2024 and sees the safety marine landscape changing, voicing concern over lower-grade marine safety products coming to market.
It’s a period of shifting sands, says Ballard, who highlights that tariffs and supply chain disruptions will continue to impact manufacturing costs across the sector. “Businesses will either have to absorb these increases or pass them on to consumers, which could negatively affect consumer confidence and discretionary spending,” he explains.
“We are seeing slight increases in the fishing, cruising, and sailing markets, while paddlesports have remained flat post-covid as consumers reassess their leisure priorities and spending,” Ballard explains.
He says that upcoming certification process and regulatory changes will ultimately provide a clearer path forward in North America resulting in more harmonised products and a simplified purchasing process for both retailers and consumers.
“Retailer consolidation is also expected to continue, alongside a growing percentage of consumer spending shifting to online platforms.” This is where Ballard expects a focus on lower-priced, promotional purchases to be key.
The trickledown from elite racing and the influence of elite racing has proved a helpful boost for companies such as Mustang Survival. As an example, the success of the Atlas 190 DLX Life Jacket among elite users directly influenced the development of the company’s new Elite PFD Series, which is launching in North America in 2025.
“Consumers are looking for high-value products that offer increased comfort, innovation and a strong focus on safety and performance. The Atlas 190 DLX Life Jacket has delivered on all of that and has met with significant market interest,” Ballard says. Pressure for manufacturers to eliminate PFAS (or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from their product ranges will continue to drive innovations in materials, he adds.
Mustang is actively transitioning to recycled alternatives: “While we must be PFAS compliant, we are choosing and innovating even better materials, looking to be more efficient in our designs to reduce waste, and benchmarking our emissions so we can work to decrease our footprint holistically,” he says.
