Car and motorcycle sales collapse

Last year, car and motorcycle sales were nearly 17 percent down on 2008. The sales collapse is predominantly caused by the worldwide recession and the lack of trust as shown by consumers and the private sector. The situation was less dramatic for car repair shops and spare parts dealers.

Total car and motorcycle sales

Lowest sales level reached in second quarter of 2009

Car and motorcycle sales began to slump in the second quarter of 2008. The lowest level was reached in the second quarter of 2009, when sales plummeted by nearly 19 percent. Currently, the downturn is levelling off. In the fourth quarter of 2009, sales were 11 percent down on one year previously, but it needs to be borne in mind that the fourth quarter is compared to the fourth quarter of 2008, a period when car and motorcycle retailers were already performing poorly.

Sales by branch, 2009

Importers of new cars take hardest hit

Importers of new passenger cars took the largest turnover loss by nearly 27 percent relative to 2008. Car sales have collapsed as a result of the worldwide depression.

Last year, more than 387 thousand new cars were sold, i.e. nearly 23 percent fewer than in 2008.

Car sales

Car repair shops and spare parts dealers suffer the least

The dramatic decline in new-car sales implies that car owners tend to postpone replacement of their current cars. This has a positive effect on car repair shops. Within the automotive industry, specialised repair shops managed to keep turnover loss down to – 5.6 percent last year.

Spare parts dealers recorded 9 percent loss of turnover, but this branch is on the way up as turnover increased by nearly 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. After five consecutive quarters of declining sales, an upward trend is discernible.

Rian van Gulijk-Boon and Ron Duijkers