Wedding Season Fails To Rev Up Passenger Vehicle Sales: November Witnesses 13.72% Drop

NewDelhi: During the wedding season in India, when joyous celebrations filled the air with the sound of wedding bells chiming loudly across the country, there was a contrast for car manufacturers as they faced a challenging situation of declining sales amidst the festive fervor and merriment that enveloped the nation’s populace in November 2023. The sales of passenger vehicles experienced a drop of 13.72% compared to the year during this period, leaving car dealers disheartened as they had pinned their hopes high for increased sales during this auspicious season due to weddings taking place across the country.

Car dealerships nationwide were hopeful for increased consumer interest due to weddings anticipating a surge in sales numbers; unfortunately, their predictions fell short as November’s passenger car sales dropped significantly compared to the year and even declined by 33.37% from the month, which had a negative impact on the industry overall.

Other Segments in the Automotive Industry Stand Out
Enough other parts of the sector performed significantly well, as per information from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).

Sales of motorcycles and scooters experienced growth with a 15.9% rise in sales.
Three wheelers experienced an increase of 4.23%.
The tractor category stood out as the performer with a 29.88% increase in sales.
In contrast, the performance in areas where the passenger vehicle (PV) and commercial vehicle (CV) sectors encountered difficulties. CV sales saw a 6.08% drop compared to the year, indicating a slowdown in market demand.

What could be causing the decrease in passenger vehicle numbers lately?
Experts in the industry and members of FADA link the drop in sales of passenger vehicles to factors such as

Customers are feeling uncertain about the market. Are holding back on making purchases.
During occasions, like festivals and weddings, where people are looking for items to purchase and celebrate with joyous gatherings.
The lasting influence of the slowdown, after the season, often affects sales post the Diwali celebrations in October.
Customers may have delayed their purchases due to the price increases scheduled for January 2024 across brand variants as noted by the FADA organization. Furthermore, it seems that dealerships are depending heavily on discounts and promotions to sell off remaining inventory; however, this approach has not resulted in a boost in sales figures.

December is shaping up to be a month, for those in the business of selling cars.
In December. A time when car sales usually slow down because people wait for the year’s models. Automakers face a hurdle as buyers prefer to hold off on purchases until January to get the latest vehicles fresh, off the production line.

Moreover, if the interest stays moderate, sales promotions and deals at the dealership level might be essential in halting the decrease in sales figures. Nonetheless, carmakers are proceeding with caution due to rising production costs and the impact of the situation on their profits.

In contrast, to the success seen in vehicle categories recently, the passenger vehicle industry is currently struggling to pick up speed more after the festive wedding season brought happiness to countless individuals—a challenging period for car manufacturers and dealers alike.

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