DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC) released its provincial sales report for March, revealing a significant decline in sales and provincial impacts that were not evenly dispersed.
It should come as no surprise that March felt a greater impact from COVID-19 than the first two months of the year, with total new light vehicle sales falling an estimated 48.3% — down from 181,800 units sold in March 2019, to only 93,991 units sold for March 2020. Looking at the first quarter, as a whole, sales fell 20%.
“Although March results were eye-opening, the months to come will outline an even more severe picture of the full impacts of the ongoing pandemic,” said DAC in a news release.
As for the impact of the novel coronavirus at the provincial level, DAC said monthly sales across all provinces declined by at least 40%. But some regions were impacted more than others.
Prince Edward Island, for example, recorded an estimated sales decrease of 61.3% for the month, which DAC describes as “uncomfortably close to two thirds of the market.” Quebec noted an estimated 58.2% sales decline for the month, which is not much better.
Provinces like Manitoba and British Columbia fared slightly better, with their estimated sales falling 40.1% and 40.6% respectively. And Ontario, recorded an estimated sales decrease of 46.5%, “outperforming the market; such that it is,” said DAC.
“We expect the provincial sales performance to likely change somewhat in the coming months as a result of the uneven health impacts of the pandemic, variations in the timing at which restrictions are lifted, and also varying regional economic implications in regard to oil prices and other key variables,” said DAC.
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