As we approach the end of the year, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC) reminds us that the provincial vehicle sales situation remains mixed.
While all provinces maintained positive sales as of November, year-to-date when compared to 2020, DAC said some provinces came out ahead of others. Year-to-date, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia were up 4.0%, 13.9%, and 12.4%, respectively. Saskatchewan and Ontario were up slightly less at 3.3% and 4.1%, respectively.
“For November specifically, all of the provinces noted sales decreases against November 2020,” said DAC. “Saskatchewan, which noted the worst performance year-to-date, actually managed to secure the smallest decrease for the month at just 2.4%.”
Overall, DAC estimates that sales for the month came in at 110,448 units—a decline of 13.9%. But year-to-date sales settled at 1.54 million units, which is up 7.4% over 2020.
“While 2021 will likely end ahead of 2020 in all provinces, this is not exactly a cause for celebration,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC. “The semiconductor shortage has led the market to underperform by several hundred thousand units, with consumer demand outstripping supply from one side of the country to the other.”
