Common automotive costs proceed to be pulled down by underpricing of exceptionally excessive demand inventory, fuelled by latest developments in wholesale values, in response to Auto Dealer’s Retail Worth Index which reveals a drop of -7.5% year-on-year (YoY) and like-for-like in January.

The used automotive market nonetheless noticed a assured begin to the brand new 12 months, with each transactions and shopper demand recording development in January,

Ranges of shopper demand on Auto Dealer remained buoyant in January, growing 6.1% YoY, and effectively forward of provide, which recorded a development of simply 1.2%. Consequently, Auto Dealer’s Market Well being metric, which assesses potential market profitability based mostly on provide and demand dynamics, rose to a wholesome 4.8% on January 2023.

Strong shopper urge for food was additionally evident within the file site visitors to Auto Dealer’s market, which final month noticed a complete of over 85.5 million cross platform visits; an enormous 27.5% improve on December, and 6.4% on the 80.4 million recorded in January 2023 – a file on the time.

This demand was translated into transactions, with early indications from Auto Dealer’s retail gross sales knowledge suggesting a 1.6% improve in used automotive gross sales in comparison with final 12 months. 

Regardless of such robust market fundamentals, nonetheless, a proportion of high-demand inventory continues to be being under-priced on Auto Dealer, though reassuringly, at a slowing charge from latest highs. Presently, circa 46,000 vehicles with a excessive Retail Ranking rating – a novel, machine studying derived measure of how briskly a automotive is more likely to promote if priced at its market worth – of over 61 have been marketed beneath their market common from the primary day of being listed. Consequently, a possible revenue of round £30m is being missed.

Wanting on the knowledge at a extra granular degree reveals that a lot of even probably the most in-demand automobiles out there are being priced beneath their retail worth. Actually, 3,400 retailers are selecting to listing circa 9,300 of the ‘best-of-the-best’ vehicles – with a Retail Ranking above 81 – on Auto Dealer beneath 95% of their respective market common. It represents a possible revenue alternative for retailers of circa £8m.  

Nuanced retail market

Highlighting the nuance within the retail market, the common value of sub three-year-old (£28,031) vehicles are down -9.7% YoY (hampered by the continuing de-fleeting of the circa 750,000 electrical automobiles offered over the past three years), while these aged 3-5-years (£19,114) and 5-10-years (£13,352) noticed a decline of -9.2% and -4.8% respectively. Used vehicles aged over 10-years-old, nonetheless, are nonetheless recording optimistic value development, with 10–15-year-old automobiles up 3.7% YoY to £6,457.

gas kind, costs for electrical automobiles are down -21.8% YoY (£28,836), while petrol (£15,256) and diesel (£15,111) are down -6.2% and -5.8% respectively. That is regardless of very beneficial market dynamics; throughout all gas varieties, ranges of demand development is outpacing provide, which beneath regular situations would preserve value stability. That is particularly evident in electrical automobiles, the place demand development has elevated a large 65%, while ranges of provide, is down -2.4%, leading to Auto Dealer’s Market Well being metric rising a whopping 69%. 

Commenting, Richard Walker, Auto Dealer’s knowledge & perception director, stated: “In addition to our personal metrics, it’s reassuring to see broader financial indicators pointing to steady and strong market situations, together with the most recent shopper confidence knowledge, which reached a two-year excessive in January. Though fewer than we’ve seen beforehand, given such optimistic market fundamentals, it’s disappointing to nonetheless see inventory being priced beneath their true market worth, notably what we might name the best-of-the-best. By not making use of a retail-back strategy to pricing, retailers are susceptible to promoting themselves quick and lacking out on important revenue alternatives.” 

Prime 10 used automotive value development (all gas varieties) | January 2024 vs January 2023 like-for-like

Prime 10 used automotive value contraction (all gas varieties) | January 2024 vs January 2023 like-for-like