Urban Science released statistics and insights today from its 2015 year end Automotive Franchise Activity Report (FAR), which projects that throughput – the average number of sales per dealership – has achieved another an all-time record of 966 units based on vehicle sales of 17.5 million. This all-time high will mark the fourth consecutive year that the United States dealership network set a new throughput record.
The most recent FAR shows a slight increase in the number of automotive dealerships in the U.S. since the end of 2014. As of December 31, 2015, there were 18,087 dealerships (rooftops), a 0.7 percent increase from last December’s total of 17,953. The number of franchises (brands a dealership sells) also increased experienced a slight increase of 0.5 percent – from 31,609 on Dec. 31, 2014, to 31,776 as of Dec. 31, 2015.
“Over the last six years, the dealership network has set a new normal pattern of stability.” said Mitchell Phillips, Global Data Director at Urban Science. “This year the data shows that 96 percent of local markets had virtually no net change over 2014 (+/- 1 dealership). However, the most significant (net) dealership increases occurred in: Texas, 23 dealerships; California, 19 dealerships; Florida, 13 dealerships; New York, nine dealerships; and Iowa, eight dealerships.”
“Sales throughput for dealers has achieved another record level due to a record sales year and a stable dealer count. This is the fourth consecutive year that this record has been broken,” said Phillips. “However, reviewing data for January 2016, the current selling rate indicates that while we may get close, we may not break this record again in 2016.”
About the Automotive Franchise Activity Report
Urban Science maintains a list of current new vehicle dealership and franchise information for all car and light truck brands in the United States. Compiled on a monthly basis, the census is the most reliable source of dealership statistics. The data comes from a variety of sources, including feeds from automotive manufacturers as well as phone and field verification. Urban Science has been collecting this information since 1990 and compiles a yearly analysis every February for the previous year in its annual Automotive Franchise Activity Report.
About Urban Science
Founded in 1977, Urban Science is a global retail consulting firm that takes a scientific approach to help companies identify where they should allocate resources in order to increase their market share and profitability in the most effective and efficient manner. With headquarters in Detroit, Urban Science serves its global clientele from offices in the United States, Spain, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, China, Mexico, Japan, India and Brazil. For more information on Urban Science, visit www.urbanscience.com.
