Average van selling prices and the percentage of vehicles sold first time held strong in April due to a stock shortage in the wholesale market.
The figures from Manheim show the average selling price increased 1.5% month-on-month to £5,992, with 81% of vans selling first time despite the usual Easter slow-down in April.
Matthew Davock, director of commercial vehicles, said: “The CV market remained largely positive through the traditionally quiet month of April, but we did see a shortage of stock, partly driven by long lead-times for new vans.”
“The trend for higher age and mileage vehicles continued as more ex-fleet stock entered the market, but the forces of supply and demand meant that the average selling price rose slightly month-on-month. As always, vehicle specification and condition were the key factors in valuing individual vehicles.”
Continued growth in online buying helped contribute to a reduction in average days to sell from 15.4 in April 2018, to 14.3 in April 2019.
Davock continued: “April is generally a challenging month in the CV retail market, and customer feedback suggests that the sunny weather conditions over Easter impacted retail sales and activity in what felt like an extended break.
“That said, our customers are reporting pockets of positivity in their results for the month, and we expect to see the stock shortage in the wholesale market ease as new van orders are filled over the coming months.”
