Car dealers get ready for June buyers after lockdown sales decline

“The decline in new car sales does not come as a surprise as showrooms remained closed in May. It is positive that dealerships across England are now able to reopen and safely welcome customers back”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT’s new passenger car registration figures.

New car sales declined by 89.0% in May with 20,247 units registered. Registrations from private buyers accounted for 63.7% of the market. In the first five months of the year, the market is now down by -51.4%.

Sue Robinson continued, “Franchised retailers are taking robust precautions and have implemented stringent measures to ensure the health of staff and customers which is the top priority.

“There are attractive offers on new and used cars consumers can benefit from over the next weeks and retailers have reported positive figures from the first days back in business.

“As Governments across the EU have stepped in to support the automotive sector, it is important that also the UK Government consider how to best assist the UK automotive industry, which is one of the pillars of the UK economy and employs in total over 800,000 people”.