NEWS

As we begin a new year, it seems that many of the challenges faced by the used car market in 2021 will remain with us for some time to come.

As the supply of new vehicle stock seems likely to be slow in returning to the levels that were seen before the pandemic, we will continue to see increased pressure on the dealers and fleets to make up for the shortfall in new stock from OEMs.

Limited quantities of used stock should not be seen as limiting the business potential for dealers in the year ahead, as in many European markets the volume of sales has increased. What it does mean for dealers is that to retain a competitive advantage in a pressurised market, the ability to move quickly to secure the right stock, and a willingness to consider cross-border purchases or sales will be crucial in the coming months.

Fortunately, we have seen that more customers than ever are able to rely on Autorola and its business units as trusted partners to achieve all of the above.

Our INDICATA team are trusted experts, with the ability to provide real-time data and valuable insights for dealer groups to help them make strategic business decisions. We know that users benefit from increased stock turn, a better price to market and less chance of being stuck with over age stock, which is crucial at times like this.

This newsletter is our first of 2022, and will touch on what is happening around the group.

The latest Market Watch report is now live and gives deep insight into the market conditions across Europe, as well as predictions and emerging market trends for the year ahead. For anyone involved in the motor trade, it is essential reading.

We also dive into the fastest and top selling vehicles of 2021, which is also part of the Market Watch. If you want to know what buyers have been looking for across European markets, but do not want to read the fuller report, this will give you a top-line overview of the market.

Lastly, do not miss the introduction to Autorola Group’s latest dealer group offering, the integrated fleet monitoring package, which is explained by Autorola’s Global Director, Ib Kimose.

I hope that it proves an interesting read.

Peter
Best regards
Peter Grøftehauge (LinkedIn)

Now more than ever, the pressures of a fast-moving retail environment and the relative lack of available vehicle stock means that dealer groups are having to react quickly and manage their processes effectively in order to retain a competitive edge.

With a market which requires flexibility, rapid decision making and above all, the need for accuracy of data to facilitate these decisions, it can be a challenge for dealerships within this segment to keep track of the multiple data sets and forecasts which are needed to keep ahead of the market.

Autorola Solutions Fleet Monitor platform has been designed from the ground up to offer a simple, secure and scalable management solution for dealer groups. With the ability to integrate diverse systems seamlessly onto one easy to operate interface which can sit within or alongside an existing dealer management system, Autorola Solutions gives dealer groups the ability to manage incoming stock, existing stock, and KPIs in real-time.

With Autorola Solutions in place across dealer groups, vehicle lead times are reduced and, thanks to the ability to implement better workflow structures, the lead time between preparation and sale of each vehicles minimised. Put simply, it maximises dealership efficiencies.

On top of this, Fleet Monitor’s live market view offers a dynamic and up to date pricing tool, enabling dealers to enjoy a complete overview of current pricing and market demand trends, guaranteeing that stocklists don’t become over-aged as the market evolves.

This short video gives a clear overview of the whole solutions platform and is well worth 2 minutes of your time – see video here.


For any dealers wishing to ensure the ultimate edge in business, or who are looking to guarantee maximum efficiency across their business, Autorola offers a consultancy service, bringing expertise to companies wishing to optimise their businesses in a rapidly changing marketplace. If you are looking to secure a good result for your dealership group in 2022, contact your Autorola representative to see how our experience and insights could be of benefit.

• The VW Golf remains as the top-selling car overall and ICE car
• Renault’s Clio and the VW Polo are second and third place in both tables
• Toyota has a clean sweep of the hybrid top three with its C-HR, Yaris, and Corolla
• Renault’s Zoe leads the way again in the BEV list followed by the Audi e-Tron and BMW i3

• Skoda’s Enyaq is the fastest-selling used car overall and tops the BEV list
• The MG3 is second to the Enyaq and fastest-selling ICE car
• There are a mix of BMWs that appear in the ICE, hybrid, and BEV table
• Lancia’s Ypsilon is Europe’s fastest-selling used hybrid

View the top-selling and the fastest-selling tables for 13 European countries in our latest Market Watch report at www.indicata.com/corona

All 13 countries featured in our INDICATA Market Watch insights report recorded major used car stock shortages as they entered January 2022.

These ranged from 6% in France to 26.2% in Germany while Italy and the UK fell by 24.4% and 10.3% respectively.

Our INDICATA team expects record prices will remain across Europe during 2022 based on consumers buying used cars in preference to new cars which are restricted by the global semiconductor shortage.

During 2021 prices rose to record levels across Europe with double digit increases in the UK (32.6%), Poland (20.9%), Spain (19.9%) and Germany (15.2%).

Despite these high prices Europe’s online B2C used car sales were 9.0% higher than 2020 and 7.4% above 2019 levels which reinforces demand is very high and continues to exceed supply.

In December six countries experienced year-on-year sales growth. This was despite low used car stock levels, high prices and a seasonal market slowdown, Seven countries meanwhile reported a fall in sales including Germany.

“The market continues to operate at a new normal where demand and prices are high and stock levels are low,” explained Andy Shields, INDICATA Europe’s business unit director.

“Fleet volumes will not increase as companies extend their contracts in the absence of new cars being available while rental companies are buying rather than selling used cars.

“Dealer part exchanges are limited so dealers have to work harder to source the right cars and sell them quickly as they are paying more than 30% higher prices for cars than 12 months ago,” he added.

Used diesel continued to sell fast in December at 6.5x with used petrols also selling fast with a stock turn of 5.5x. Used BEVs are now consistently selling as quickly as other powertrains at 5.4x and in Denmark and The Netherlands were the fastest-selling fuel type.

Remarkably the Volkswagen Golf retained its position as Europe’s top-selling used car up to four years old followed by the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo. The Renault Zoe was the top-selling BEV followed by the Audi e-Tron and BMW i3 while Toyota took a clean sweep in the hybrid category with the C-HR, Yaris and Corolla.

For a full copy of our 13-country 34-page report go to www.indicata.com/corona.