Urban Science's 2021 Automotive Franchise Activity Report shows slight but stable growth in the industry despite far-reaching inventory shortages. While the number of franchises decreased slightly from 31,959 to 31,646, 73 new rooftops opened in the country during the same period. 85% of the areas measured remained stable with no net change for the better or worse.
The majority of this rooftop growth was in the highly populated states of California, Texas, and New York, but the average sales by dealers across the study show a 19 unit increase.
Telling it like it is - More rooftops means more sales but also more points of acquiring inventory. The snowball is rolling, friends!