Automotive sales continue to trend higher in Canada.
A total of 165,020 automobiles were sold in Canada during July, a 6.2% increase from June, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. Those figures are 4.9% below the same month last year, but mark the seventh best July in Canadian automotive history.
After a massive collapse in April, vehicle sales jumped 147% in May and 37.3% in June, before the 6.2% increase in July. While automotive sales made a strong showing in July, it's unclear how much of the sales momentum is driven by buyers who have been holding off since spring, when dealerships were in a holding pattern due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In a separate note in mid-July, DesRosiers said that the COVID-19 pandemic put a brief but sharp downward pressure on the number of vehicles sold at each dealership. That may accelerate a long-term pattern as the industry shifts from independent car dealerships, and toward collectives of 10 or more franchises owned by a single group.
