Client demand, velocity of sale and transactions within the used automotive market all rallied in February, in line with the newest information from Auto Dealer.

Regardless of such beneficial market situations and sturdy underlying market well being, common retail costs had been down -8.3% year-on-year (YoY), marking the sixth consecutive month of decline.

There are indicators, nonetheless, of retail costs stabilising, with February recording the bottom charge of month-on-month (MoM) contraction (-0.6%) since October 2023.

Demonstrating the power of the used automotive market, Auto Dealer recorded circa 81.7 million cross platform visits to its market in February, which is a 9.4% enhance on the identical interval final yr.

This elevated engagement on website is being fuelled by the sturdy ranges of shopper demand; Auto Dealer’s information reveals that demand was up 8% YoY in February, which is an uptick on the 6% recorded in January.

Reassuringly, Auto Dealer’s shopper analysis factors to sustained demand, with circa 80% of in-market automotive consumers surveyed claiming to be as assured of their capacity to afford their subsequent automotive as they had been final yr; almost a 3rd (31%) stated they had been ‘rather more’ assured.

Present demand is additional highlighted by the present velocity at which used automobiles are promoting. Actually, it took a mean of simply 27 days for a used automotive to promote in February, the quickest velocity of sale in 12 months, and a major acceleration on the 40 days recorded in January.

Highlighting the nuances of the retail market, automobiles offered even quicker inside sure segments; for instance, the typical 3-5-year-old automotive took simply 26 days to promote, and quantity manufacturers took simply 25. On account of this sturdy demand, Auto Dealer information has reported an identical uptick in transactions, with its retail gross sales tracker recording a YoY progress of round 3% in February.

In addition to shopper demand, February noticed a rise within the stage of provide getting into the used automotive market with the speed of progress rising 2.8% on the identical interval final yr. It marks the most important yr on yr provide progress since October 2022 and is being fuelled by the 15.5% enhance in automobiles aged over 5-years-old. Potential total progress, nonetheless, is hampered by the continuing squeeze on provide of 1-5-year-old inventory (-13.7% YoY) because the circa 3 million ‘missed’ gross sales throughout the pandemic continues to circulate by way of the market.

Regardless of the general enhance in February, provide progress stays properly under progress in shopper demand, and consequently, Auto Dealer’s Market Well being metric, which assesses potential market profitability, rose 5.1% YoY in February, up from the 4.2% recorded in January.

While Market Well being was largely up throughout all market segments, as with velocity of sale, there’s vital nuance, influenced by variances in provide and demand dynamics. For instance, exceptionally sturdy demand for automobiles aged under 12 months, up circa 32% YoY, is sort of equally matched by a 30% uplift in provide, and consequently Market Well being elevated simply 1.4%. 

These aged 1-3, nonetheless, noticed demand enhance 15.8% YoY, far outpacing the -15.3% drop in provide, and as such, Market Well being elevated a assured 37%.  Demand for used petrol automobiles (6.2%) was solely simply forward of provide (5.6%), leading to a conservative 0.6% enhance in Market Well being. However in distinction, demand for used electrical autos surged an enormous 81.5% YoY in February, which mixed with a -1.1% fall in provide, drove a whopping 83.6% enhance in Market Well being.

Regardless of these beneficial market situations, Auto Dealer is seeing under-pricing of excessive demand inventory, which is probably going in response to traits in wholesale values, which stay down circa -13.4% YoY. Auto Dealer information reveals circa 41,000 automobiles with a excessive Retail Ranking rating at the moment being marketed under their market common from the primary day of being listed. This behaviour – basing costs on commerce slightly than retail – just isn’t solely unduly pulling common costs down, but in addition eroding retailers’ margins, probably costing round £27m.

Commenting, Richard Walker, Auto Dealer’s information & perception director, stated: “February was one other optimistic month for the used automotive market – demand was sturdy, inventory offered rapidly, and extra automobiles had been offered than final yr. It’s disappointing subsequently that retail costs had been under the place we’d anticipate them to be given the in any other case very sturdy market well being.

“Wholesale values are bettering, and the variety of autos being underpriced is falling, however nonetheless too many retailers are being guided by commerce slightly than retail, and the result’s an pointless erosion of margin. To maximise the complete potential at the moment accessible available in the market, I’d strongly urge retailers to utilise our valuations information, which relies on the most important single view of the retail market and accessible to all our companions.”

High 10 used automotive worth progress (all gasoline varieties) | February 2024 vs February 2023 like-for-like

High 10 used automotive worth contraction (all gasoline varieties) | February 2024 vs February 2023 like-for-like