The 10-Second Version (AI Summary)
What happened: U.S. new-vehicle inventory rose by more than 100,000 to 3.1 million to start November.
Why it matters: Dealers are loading up for the year-end push, and every unit still on the ground in January costs money.
What to do: Plan Black Friday and holiday campaigns this week, and aim them at the shoppers your inventory fits.
AI-generated and reviewed by the ASOTU team.
What should dealers do with 100,000 more cars on the ground?
Start the holiday push now, not in a month. On today's Automotive State of the Union, Kyle laid out a simple year-end checklist: build Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns, order your bows, and find a small holiday touch to hand customers, like an ornament or a stocking stuffer.
"Waiting a month is not the time to do that. Start thinking about how you're approaching the holidays, caring for people."
Kyle Mountsier
He also warned against the stock-up turning into a January hangover. More inventory and a higher days' supply don't create demand on their own.
U.S. new-vehicle inventory climbed by more than 100,000 to start November.
Automotive News reports the jump came as dealers stocked lower-priced models for the year-end push. Here's what moved, per Catalyst IQ:
Total inventory: up about 3.5% to 3.1 million
Days' supply: 84, flat from October and down 6 days from a year ago
Hybrids: fastest-turning powertrain for the seventh straight month, at 64 days
EVs: supply rose to 82 days
Under $35,000: up sharply on fresh Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra supply, and 54% of inventory is now priced under $50,000
Midsize SUVs and crossovers: nearly 650,000 units, the most of any segment
Gas-only vehicles: the largest monthly addition of any powertrain
All six automakers that report to the Automotive News Research & Data Center saw days' supply rise from October. Honda, Ford, and Mazda each climbed at least 10 days.
Is a doorbuster the same thing as a buyer?
One of our team members once got to a store early on Black Friday and landed among the first 100 through the door, which earned him a gift card. It was a shoe store, and he wasn't shopping for shoes. He spent part of the card on soda and candy at the register and walked out with the rest in cash, about $8 ahead. Black Friday is weird.
The store got foot traffic and gave away a gift card, but it didn't sell a pair of shoes. Your holiday campaigns should do more than fill the showroom. Point them at the shoppers your inventory fits, like the budget buyers those new Corollas and Sentras are built for. Then make sure someone is ready to take care of them when they walk in.
