Aging Pre-Owned Truck and SUV Inventory Growing at Dramatic Levels as Peak Selling Season Winds Down

FirstLook Offers Workshop on Most Effective Tactics to Reduce Aged Inventories

CHICAGO, Sept. 3, 2008 - A large inventory overhang of aging Pre-Owned Trucks and SUVs in dealer stocks threatens potential major wholesale losses as the traditional selling season winds down according to a study by FirstLook Analytics, the analytics arm of FirstLook, the pioneer in automotive retail performance solutions. FirstLook's analysis of nearly 200,000 pre-owned vehicles from a national sample of franchises across all major brands and regions shows that the SUVs and Trucks in stock have aged to dramatic levels as dealers enter the closing weeks of the traditional peak selling season.

Specifically, FirstLook's analysis shows that the average Pre-Owned Truck in dealer stock on August 15 was 25 days older versus the same time in 2007 while the average Pre-Owned SUV was 21 days older based on the same year over year comparison. In addition, 38% of Pre-Owned Trucks and 35% of Pre-Owned SUVs have been in dealers' inventory more than 60 days. This trend is exacerbated by the general decline in retail and wholesale demand, leaving dealers with a glut of vehicles which have already dramatically declined in value since they were initially acquired.

"With the end of the traditional peak selling season approaching, there appear to be storm clouds on the horizon for aging Pre-Owned Trucks and SUVs in dealer inventories," FirstLook CEO Pat Ryan stated. "Unless dealers are able to take advantage of recent signs of increasing Truck and SUV demand and retail through their aging gas guzzler inventory, the overhang of aging Pre-Owned Trucks and SUVs will likely turn to aged wholesale loss as we move out of the traditional peak selling season," Ryan continued.

In order to assist dealers committed to retailing their aging Truck and SUV inventory before the peak selling season ends, First Look has collected some of the most effective practices from across the country into one of FirstLook's cutting-edge FirstLook ELITE Workshops: "Out-Retailing the Competition on Trucks and SUVs in Today's Market". FirstLook will be offering this special workshop on-line to dealers twice each week through the end of September. For information on Workshop pricing and eligibility to participate contact FirstLook at 800-730-5665.