Low days’ supply of new inventory driving an increase in CPO sales across brands

Historically, consumers have turned to the used vehicle market during recessionary times as an alternative to a new vehicle purchase. That’s because used cars tend to be more affordable, allowing consumers to avoid the burden of a high monthly payment when money might be tight.

But there’s another factor driving the current shift to the used vehicle market—in particular, Certified Pre-Owned vehicles (CPOs)—and that’s low days’ supply of new inventory. The shortage of new vehicles is a result of plants remaining closed, and it’s making it difficult for consumers to find the specific new cars they want. While new and used vehicle sales posted double-digit losses in June, CPO sales posted an increase of 8.5% as compared to June 2019.