Auto Dealerships
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 17,000 new car dealerships in the US typically manage five distinct departments: New Vehicle Sales, Used Vehicle Sales, Finance and Insurance (F&I), Parts, and Service. One-third of all US new car dealerships also offer collision and body shop services. Used car sales, financing, and parts and repairs tend to be more profitable divisions for dealers.
Low Profitability
Customers are increasingly savvy about the true price of a vehicle, using the Internet as a tool to find the best price and to sniff out extraneous up-sells.
Dependence on Financing
Dealers purchase vehicles at the time of acquisition, not when a car is sold to a customer.
Industry size & Structure
A typical new car dealership employs around 50 people and has total annual revenue of over $64.7 million.
- There are about 17,000 new car dealerships in the US with total annual sales of over $1.1 trillion.
- The average new car dealership sells just over 1,000 vehicles per year. The average price of a new vehicle is about $47,200, a figure that generally has tracked closely with inflation over the past decade but accelerated during the pandemic.
- Traditionally, franchised dealers held around 2 million domestic vehicles in inventory and 1.7-1.9 million imports. A typical dealer had a 65-75-day supply of domestic vehicles in inventory and a 50-55-day of imports. Post-pandemic, franchise dealers are holding some 1.8 million domestic vehicles and about 430,000 imports. Now, a typical dealer has a 44-day supply of domestic vehicles in inventory and a 35-day of imports.
- Popular brands include GM (16.7% of total new car sales), Toyota (14.5%), Ford (12.5%), Hyundai (10.7%), Stellantis (Fiat Chrysler, PSA Group – 9.8%), and Honda (8.5%).
- The largest auto dealership groups in the US include AutoNation, Lithia Motors, Penske Automotive, and Sonic Automotive.
Industry Forecast
Auto Dealerships Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Dec 15, 2024 - November Sales Up
- US new light-vehicle seasonally adjusted annualized sales (SAAR) rose 6.7% in November 2024 year over year, totaling 16.5 million units, according to NADA Market Beat. The results exceeded expectations and were the highest since May 2021. Categories performing well year to date in 2024 include alternative-fueled vehicles, which now account for nearly 20% of new vehicles sold. Nearly 10% of all new vehicles sold were hybrids at the end of November, an increase of 2.4% in market share year over year. Average incentive spending per unit increased to an estimated $3,291 in November 2024, up 42.3% year over year. Per the report, OEM discounting has increased throughout 2024. Light-vehicle sales are expected to hit the 2024 forecast of 15.7 million units and may exceed it if the momentum from November carries through December. New light-vehicle inventory is expected to be around 3 million units for most of 2025.
- Consumer confidence levels increased in November 2024, improving by 2.1 points from the previous month, according to The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index was 111.7 in November 2024 from 109.6 in October 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that those remaining most confident on a six-month moving average basis confidence were those aged under 35 and those in the income category of over $100,000. Per Peterson, “Consumer confidence continued to improve in November and reached the top of the range that has prevailed over the past two years.” Purchasing plans for homes stalled while plans to buy new cars rose slightly in November 2024 on a six-month average basis.
- According to a report in Nikkei Asia, the election of Donald Trump as president could raise US auto production costs by $40 billion due to his plans for 10-20% tariffs on all imports and additional tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese goods. The increased tariffs could have a major impact on the auto industry, which has sales of 15 million vehicles per year. Many of the vehicles are imported from Mexico, Canada, and Japan. The tariffs would apply to finished cars and auto parts. Mexico accounted for over 40% of auto parts imported into the US in the first half of 2024. According to calculations by consulting firm AlixPartners, higher tariffs on imported parts could increase the manufacturing cost per US-made car by up to $4,000. It is expected that the tariffs would lead automakers to increase production in the US. While research nonprofit organization Tax Foundation estimates the tariffs could increase US revenue by $3.8 trillion in the long term, it is anticipated that companies will cover the higher costs by raising prices, per the report.
- The US auto dealerships industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5% between 2024 and 2028, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The expected growth rate is faster than the overall economy‘s anticipated growth. The report noted that consumer confidence is expected to improve in the forecast period, which bodes well for the retail and wholesale industries. Factors that continue to limit consumer spending are lower consumer sentiment levels, higher interest rate levels, and elevated price levels. According to the report, “Auto sales have been limited by supply constraints and more recently by higher financing costs, but vehicle sales may continue to rise as supplies improve and the Federal Reserve eventually reduces policy interest rates.” In addition, inflation is subsiding, which supports a moderate increase of real disposable income by about 1.9% in 2024 and 2.4% in 2025.
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