Sales Report: Hurricanes create good looking August sales
Last year Hurricanes Katrina and Rita knocked the wind right out of automakers' sails, who were enjoying three months of healthy summer sales fueled by big incentives and employee pricing. From August through October of last year, however, sales were down 21 percent at GM, 13 percent at Ford and up only 2.1 percent at DaimlerChrysler, the Detroit Free Press reports. Because of this extended period of sales depression, the results this year for the next few months may look rosy in comparison. At the same time, some analysts caution if sales remain flat in the coming months compared with last year that it will focus the spotlight even further on the poor sales performances of GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. We will know by the end of the week how each has fared, as automakers will be releasing their sales figures for August on Friday. We'll round them up for you, of course, in our By The Numbers series of posts.
[Source: The Detroit Free Press]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ken 9:35AM (8/29/2006)
Good! I am curious as to how the media will report this. When the media couldn't wait to report how Ford and GM's sales tanked in July, most didn't report the reason was because of record sales the year before, because of employee discounts. Some did, but as the month went on, they didn't mention it. Creating a worse worse sounding story that it really was. I would bet that if sales are reported as being up for August, the main stream doom and gloom media will then report the reason sales are up is because last year Katrina caused sales to slow. Wanna bet, anyone?
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AverageJoe 10:46AM (8/29/2006)
Katrina had nothing to do with sales being down last year, that is so rediculous. If that was true it would have effected all companies across the board. I live in the area and had a lot of damage and yet I bought a truck, because mine was destroyed.
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salguod 12:19PM (8/29/2006)
OT - Who got in that brick-laden Chevy truck and turned the lights on?
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Ken 1:57PM (8/29/2006)
2. Katrina had nothing to do with sales being down last year, that is so rediculous. If that was true it would have effected all companies across the board. I live in the area and had a lot of damage and yet I bought a truck, because mine was destroyed.
Posted at 10:45AM on Aug 29th 2006 by AverageJoe 0 stars
Joe, what? Katerina had a LOT to do with sales plunging. $3 gas, remember? Yes, it's common now, but when you first see it on the sign it's a shocker. Remember the BP station that had it posted over $5 for regular? Something tells me you're not an Average Joe, Joe.
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