Buying goods helps the economy directly more than buying shares in a company where you're hoping to profit off revenues.

Spending $10k on a boat employs the reseller, the boat manufacturer, generates revenue for the slip it's parked at, provides jobs in the boat maintenance industry, creates a customer for boating accessories and a whole bunch of other jobs. That $10k expenditure will create additional revenue over time. The profits will be spent, vendors and rents and taxes will be paid. Putting money into stocks does nothing for job creation or stimulating the economy. It's basically positioning to skim the fat off the top of a profitable company.