FCA US LLC reported second-quarter sales of 367,086 vehicles – a 39 percent decline over the same period a year earlier – as the economic havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in April was partially offset by the stronger than expected retail sales rebound in May and June.
Fleet sales were impacted in the quarter as customers initially delayed or reduced their orders, in addition as production restarted deliveries have been focused on the dealer channel.
"This quarter demonstrated the resilience of the U.S. consumer," said Head of U.S. Sales Jeff Kommor. "Retail sales have been rebounding since April as the reopening of the economy, steady gas prices and access to low interest loans spur people to buy. Our fleet volume remained low during the quarter as we prioritized vehicle deliveries to retail customers. As a result, we have built a strong fleet order book, which we will fulfill over the coming months."
This was also the first quarter consumers could completely purchase their vehicles online through the company’s new Online Retailing Experience. ORE is accessible through the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo websites, participating dealer sites and a variety of social media applications. Customers simply click on the link to begin the process.
About 20 percent of new sales leads now come from online retailing compared with about 1 percent a year earlier.
“ORE is another tool dealers can now use to reach those consumers who like shopping from their home computer," Kommor said.
