Car and truck sales down 2.1 per cent in October amid shortages, pandemic measures

 

TORONTO -- Canadian dealerships sold 156,095 cars and trucks in October, down 2.1 per cent from the previous year, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.  

The decline in auto sales last month came amid shortages of some in-demand vehicles, as well as stricter COVID-19 measures in some regions, says DesRosiers' managing partner Andrew King.

Still, King says the auto market is showing signs of stability after COVID-19 shuttered dealerships earlier this year, sending sales down nearly 75 per cent from their year-ago levels in April.

By September, people had returned to dealerships and were buying slightly more cars and trucks than in September 2019. 

King says that, despite the slight decline, the October auto sales number was strong and healthy, all things considered. 

Since November and December tend to be slower sales months, the consultants say they expect 2020 to end with 360,000 fewer auto sales than in 2019, a decline of 21.6 per cent.