# Car Sales



## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

There was somebody on here the other week asking about working for a motor dealership. Several of us suggested it would be tough 

Today the National Assn. Of Motor Car Dealers announced their figures - job losses 10,000 so far and a staggering 20,000 in the pipeline! 

House sales for Málaga also announced for 2008 28% down on 2007. Goodness knows what 2009 will be like.


----------



## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

January's car sales were announced today an ASTONISHING 53% down year on January 2008


----------



## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

And it'll get worse. 70% will not surprise me at all.


----------



## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

I think its when people see FACTS like these that they BEGIN to realise the mess. 

Sadly one of my best friends had to close his hotel in Murcia this week - private hotel and not part of a group where other sectors/hotels could be doing well and could cover the losses. A straight 5 bad months was enough to pull him down. Very sad indeed. Actually, when it's somebody so close it's not sad it's tragic. For several months he had literally been GIVING the rooms away in the hope that people would eat, drink, buy cigarettes or a postcard 

Ángel, lo siento por tí. Estoy contigo.


----------



## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Yup - It's sad Steve. Problem is that there are one or two industries that are VERY vulnerable to wealth (or lack of it). Private transportation and tourism are amongst them. 

When I first came here - your average earning Spaniard bought a car and drove it into the ground. Later there was a move to modernise the "mobile pool" and all sorts of initiatives were launched. As a result there was a boost (some might say explosion) in sales. imo this was always a bit artificial - but then I've always "sort of" believed in the old way of doing things - and dont depend on garages to maintain things. 

Just been talking to a guy in the village who deals in signs/posters etc. He's a one man band and is managing JUST to keep running. His comments imply that the sector is in trouble - one just shut putting 50 on the streets. Ties in with news I have froma mate who's having to change supplier as the place he uses has shut too.


----------



## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

All very scary - one of my best friends is a printer and is doing really well. Best year ever. He can't quite understand it but thinks it is down to more targetted advertising, people just not advertisisng in the local press - one has gone from 108 pages to 76! - and his GOYA atiitude since the "Pich" started. Sadly he is a one man operation so we are not talking big numbers.


----------



## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> All very scary - one of my best friends is a printer and is doing really well.


I can tell you one sector that cut back MASSIVELY on printing. The Macro disco's. Many were printing about 50,000 flyers a week - but a fair few have switched to using targetted SMS messages. MUCH cheaper - and (they say) more income too.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Well, sadly it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. BUT it will get better. The big problem is that nobody can say when.


----------



## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

SMS messaging - a frightening trend. I get 5 per week from Denmark and try as I might I cant stop them.


----------



## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> .. try as I might I cant stop them.


I have the solution - I have NO CELLPHONE


----------



## crookesey (May 22, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> There was somebody on here the other week asking about working for a motor dealership. Several of us suggested it would be tough
> 
> Today the National Assn. Of Motor Car Dealers announced their figures - job losses 10,000 so far and a staggering 20,000 in the pipeline!
> 
> House sales for Málaga also announced for 2008 28% down on 2007. Goodness knows what 2009 will be like.


Cars became fashion items and were changed accordingly. The trouble is todays cars are so well built that if you keep them well maintained they will go on forever. If you have to cut something out the new car will be high on the list because you don't really need it.


----------



## EP GAZZ (Aug 26, 2008)

crookesey said:


> Cars became fashion items and were changed accordingly. The trouble is todays cars are so well built that if you keep them well maintained they will go on forever. If you have to cut something out the new car will be high on the list because you don't really need it.


There is such a huge downturn here in the USA when you factor in how cheap cars are compared to Europe its incredible.

The other huge difference you see in the depression is the traffic at rush hour is falling away as the lay off's increase.

I am thinking of shipping my car in the summer as it will be less of an expense than the bllomin loss.


----------



## crookesey (May 22, 2008)

EP GAZZ said:


> There is such a huge downturn here in the USA when you factor in how cheap cars are compared to Europe its incredible.
> 
> The other huge difference you see in the depression is the traffic at rush hour is falling away as the lay off's increase.
> 
> I am thinking of shipping my car in the summer as it will be less of an expense than the bllomin loss.


We have family in the states and find that they have a completely different set of proirites to us. They take cheap housing, cheap cars, cheap fuel, cheap food etc for granted but are a lot more highly geared on things like health care, life assurance and pensions. You colonials also appear to fund your kids for far longer than we do, funding higher education, helping them to buy cars and with deposits when they buy a home.

I suppose that the family and the home comes first and the car/cars are taking the first hit in the recession. Americans are poor travellers, only 10% ever leave US shores/borders in their lifetime, and that includes those going to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, I suspect that a lot of vacations will take place in your back yards until things start to improve, so why bother changing the car?


----------



## EP GAZZ (Aug 26, 2008)

crookesey said:


> We have family in the states and find that they have a completely different set of proirites to us. They take cheap housing, cheap cars, cheap fuel, cheap food etc for granted but are a lot more highly geared on things like health care, life assurance and pensions. You colonials also appear to fund your kids for far longer than we do, funding higher education, helping them to buy cars and with deposits when they buy a home.
> 
> I suppose that the family and the home comes first and the car/cars are taking the first hit in the recession. Americans are poor travellers, only 10% ever leave US shores/borders in their lifetime, and that includes those going to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, I suspect that a lot of vacations will take place in your back yards until things start to improve, so why bother changing the car?


I'm a Brit living here
Well you are right big ticket items are much cheaper(depending on area SoCal is as expensive for housing as UK) food in supermarkets is on a par if no slightly more than UK.
Eating out is cheap but eating in is not.
As for funding kids my daughter costs me a mint that is true school is around $1800 a month she attends so yer it is higher again than I paid in England and no doubt slighty higher than we will pay in Spain.

As you have to pay for college here it is extended I agree the fiscal aid to kids, however my folks are in their 80's and still bail out a number of my siblings!


----------

