COVID-19 Update Report: Direct to Dealer

Our analysis of how direct-to-dealer wholesale prices have performed since the start of the virus situation. 

Compared to wholesale auction prices over the same period, reveals that direct to dealer / upstream wholesale prices have held up far better than prices at physical wholesale auctions. For the week ending April 26, direct-to-dealer wholesale prices were down around 6% versus the beginning of March, a relatively small decrease when compared to the 14% decline recorded for wholesale auction prices over the same period.

This reveals that while wholesale auction activity and prices have been severely curtailed by stay at home orders, prices have remained far more stable in more flexible and open upstream wholesale channels.