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Ford's rising fleet sales fail to offset 11% decline in retail


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http://www.autonews.com/article/20160202/RETAIL01/302029949/1221

 

FCA survives storm to post 6.9% monthly gain; GM flat, Ford falls 2.8%

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Automotive News

February 2, 2016 - 12:15 pm ET

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. said its retail sales fell 11 percent in January, and a rise in deliveries to car-rental companies wasn’t able to fully offset the decline.

 

Overall, Ford sales slipped 2.8 percent from a year ago, including declines for the F series, Escape and Explorer.

 

But at the same time, Ford’s average transaction price rose $1,800 from January 2015, and incentives were up only $150 year over year, executives said. On the F series, which posted 5.2 percent lower sales, they said transaction prices increased $2,500 and incentive spending was reduced by $500.

 

“We’ve remained very disciplined on incentive spending and continue to transact at a very high level,” Mark LaNeve, Ford’s vice president for U.S. marketing, sales and service, said on a conference call with analysts and reporters. “Incentive spending tends to go up over the course of the year, so decisions you make in January don’t just affect January. It’s important for us to remain disciplined and run our play.”

 

Aside from the Fusion, which was up 0.9 percent, four of Ford’s five top-selling vehicles posted declines.

 

The Escape was down 4.2 percent, yet it still outsold the Honda CR-V by 11 units. The Explorer, after jumping 19 percent last year, declined 2.5 percent in January. Sales of the Focus plunged 30 percent, though it still achieved its highest volume since October.

 

But sales rose 26 percent for the Edge and 51 percent for the big Transit van. The Lincoln brand posted an 8 percent gain, including a 51 percent jump for the redesigned MKX.

 

Overall, sales fell 12 percent for cars and rose 4.1 percent for SUVs and crossovers. Trucks and vans were up 0.2 percent.

 

The decline in car sales left Ford with inventories of 213,000 cars, 16 percent more than a year ago and 9 percent more than a month ago. But LaNeve said nothing about January’s results suggested that Ford needs to cut car production more than it already has. Last summer, Ford eliminated one of three shifts at the Michigan plant that builds the Focus and C-Max.

 

“There’s no question the trend has been down for cars in the industry overall,” Erich Merkle, Ford’s chief U.S. sales analyst, said on the conference call. “We continue to balance our production with demand. We did it last year and we feel comfortable with the position we’re in right now.”

 

Among all vehicles, Ford ended January with inventories of 720,000 units, 20 percent more than a year ago.

 

Fleet sales

 

LaNeve said more than 50,000 F-series pickups is a good number for January, which tends to be the industry’s weakest month of the year. He said the company expects to deliver more of the trucks to commercial customers this year, now that inventories are healthy

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HAH...smoke and mirrors....we have been inventory dpleted in the following, Escapes, Edges, Transit fullsize and Explorers...what exactly would the numbers be if we HAD the vehicles to meet demand....Ive said it once, I will say it again...STREAMLINE the ordering guides, introduce plug and play upgrades ( Nav in units that don't have it ) that way a dealer is far more likely to be able to appese the fussy AND order vehicles in the correct manner....172 different configurations on the full size Transit is asinine, a 29 page F-150 ordering guide is ridiculous...etc etc etc ...

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HAH...smoke and mirrors....we have been inventory dpleted in the following, Escapes, Edges, Transit fullsize and Explorers...what exactly would the numbers be if we HAD the vehicles to meet demand....Ive said it once, I will say it again...STREAMLINE the ordering guides, introduce plug and play upgrades ( Nav in units that don't have it ) that way a dealer is far more likely to be able to appese the fussy AND order vehicles in the correct manner....172 different configurations on the full size Transit is asinine, a 29 page F-150 ordering guide is ridiculous...etc etc etc ...

I believe that the plug and play upgrades for Nav and infotainment will be here sooner than we think since by all accounts Sync 3 is a major upgrade over MFT. I believe the hold up is making it a dealer only type of upgrade to deter the DIY crowd.

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HAH...smoke and mirrors....we have been inventory dpleted in the following, Escapes, Edges, Transit fullsize and Explorers...what exactly would the numbers be if we HAD the vehicles to meet demand....Ive said it once, I will say it again...STREAMLINE the ordering guides, introduce plug and play upgrades ( Nav in units that don't have it ) that way a dealer is far more likely to be able to appese the fussy AND order vehicles in the correct manner....172 different configurations on the full size Transit is asinine, a 29 page F-150 ordering guide is ridiculous...etc etc etc ...

I'm like you and in over my head with all the packages, etc. And I don't have my paycheck tied to this either so I'm sure you guys have to be careful about what your ordering.

 

I thought I read a few years ago Fors was going to streamline some of this? I hate the way they offer 206 a package or whatever it's called. Makes no friggin sense to the consumer.

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Is it possible that strong pre- Christmas sales were a pull forward on January's sales?

The article seems a bit chicken little straight after Ford announces good profit for 2015.

 

GM is still loaded with 2015 Camaros so the new '16s are going to take some time to get to dealerships but by that time, Mustang will have plenty of dealer stock and carrying on regardless. On the scale of things, Focus sales are a minor casualty of lower gas prices and more attractive deals on competition- be that external or internal via other Ford products being offered at compelling prices and leases.

Edited by jpd80
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Is it possible that strong pre- Christmas sales were a pull forward on January's sales?

The article seems a bit chicken little straight after Ford announces good profit for 2015.

 

2 fewer selling days this January compared to last, and the bad weather. By the same token, don't be too pumped if February shows a huge improvement, with the leap day this year and really really bad weather last year.

What is/will be worrisome would be if F is doing worse than competition consistently.

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2 fewer selling days this January compared to last, and the bad weather. By the same token, don't be too pumped if February shows a huge improvement, with the leap day this year and really really bad weather last year.

What is/will be worrisome would be if F is doing worse than competition consistently.

Which it's currently not, combined Silverado and Sierra just beat F150 but probably due to better incentives on 2015s,

Ford already saying that F Series ATPs jumped significantly, probably due to sales favoring a richer product mix.

Edited by jpd80
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2 fewer selling days this January compared to last, and the bad weather. By the same token, don't be too pumped if February shows a huge improvement, with the leap day this year and really really bad weather last year.

What is/will be worrisome would be if F is doing worse than competition consistently.

Which it's currently not, combined Silverado and Sierra just beat F150 but probably due to better incentives on 2015s,

Ford already saying that F Series ATPs jumped significantly, probably due to sales favoring a richer product mix.

I'm not sure I understand your point.

 

Just to be clear, Ford was doing worse than competition in January, but I'm not worried. Like I said, one month result does not a trend make.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/extreme-weather-hurts-u-auto-210709958.html

In January 2016, where overall US market dipped 0.4%, FCA (+7%), Nissan (+1.6%) and GM (+0.5%) posted sales increase, while Honda (-1.7%), Ford (-2.6%) and Toyota (-4.7%) saw sales decline.

 

03LS...it will change, we didn't get ONE retail worktruck F-150 last year...not one......

I sure hope so.

 

However, per your input, Ford's inability to get the right product/volume to SC region does seem to be a recurring/consistent issue. Maybe you should be worried, at regional and/or logistic level?

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However, per your input, Ford's inability to get the right product/volume to SC region does seem to be a recurring/consistent issue. Maybe you should be worried, at regional and/or logistic level?

 

I thought part of this was a rail car issue?

 

Then again you can be Toyota and not be able to build cars because they don't have enough sheetmetal to make them with.

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And let's not forget that GM said that it got a boost in January sales by offering its buyers bigger discounts.

 

Also this snippet from Detroit Free Press:

 

The Ford brand declined 3 percent in January but had its best start for SUVs since 2004 — totaling 50,212 sales last month, a 3 percent increase versus a year ago. Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand saw sales increase 8.4 percent to more than 7,100 vehicles sold.

So even with sales slightly down, the product mix has changed and Utilities are starting strong,

combine that with strong commercial sales and January isn't the disaster that some might think.

Edited by jpd80
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a 29 page F-150 ordering guide is ridiculous...etc etc etc ...

Not in truck country it isn't. There are lots of guys (and gals) around here who know that they want this cab size with that bed length with this engine and that axle ratio. And the F150 is about the last vehicle left that actually allows you that level of picking and choosing.

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I'm not sure I understand your point.

Sorry, I'm agreeing with you.. :thumbsup:

 

In the sales call, Mark LaNeve advised that the last five selling days of January were strong helping overcome the snowstorm effect.

That should give us confidence of February sales being much stronger, Ford could come out a little stronger with incentives on ey

products to push the last of 2015 stock.

 

And really with January's figures , cars were off by about 7K while Utes were up about 3.5K and trucks flat. The really neat part was

that ATPs across Ford were up while incentive spend was down slightly. That's a good balanced score card.

Edited by jpd80
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I thought part of this was a rail car issue?

 

Then again you can be Toyota and not be able to build cars because they don't have enough sheetmetal to make them with.

It is to a degree. The bigger problem is Ford sees more priority and profit in building the super cab platinum trucks vs the single cab stripped out work trucks, and thus is having a hard time squeezing the work trucks into the build mix, after all, that's what the market as a whole is dictating.

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It is to a degree. The bigger problem is Ford sees more priority and profit in building the super cab platinum trucks vs the single cab stripped out work trucks, and thus is having a hard time squeezing the work trucks into the build mix, after all, that's what the market as a whole is dictating.

GM is no different, the Regular Cab market has actually shrunk that much.

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Yeah, I mean, who wants a regular cab truck, anyway? ;)

Not my point, all I'm saying is that Ford is not the only one prioritizing Crew and Super cabs over regular cabs.

 

Ford is only just starting to service commercial fleets, so god willing we get sto see more RCs out there

deanh for one will be pleased to finally see some work truck stock...

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the reg cab market is definitely Fleet/ Business oriented....however I just sold a reg cab SWB 2.7 XLT....what a NEAT truck...little scorcher....now that truck or a 5.0 w 4x4 is RIGHT up my alley....although truth be told the Xtra cab would definitely be more user friendly...those damn golf clubs of mine...

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