The CV auction specialist said 2015 saw records both in terms of units sold and the proportion – one in three – of vehicles sold online, which was 8% higher than 2014. The commercial vehicle buyer base seen in lane and online at was also up on the prior year, by 15%, and many of these new buyers contributed to Manheim’s online sales success.
It added that already this year many sales have recorded conversion rates in excess of 80% and rates have so far exceeded the prior year by up to 20%, with some sales selling 90+% of their total entries.
On 11 January, Manheim held its inaugural sale at its new Shepshed Commercials auction centre, which benefited from a seven-figure investment prior to re-opening. The Shepshed launch sale produced an 82% conversion rate with 269 buyers in attendance. More than 150 vans were sold, with a combined sale value of almost £1m.
Following a very successful year in 2015, Manheim’s Gloucester Commercials site now has two sales per week. The new sale will take place on Tuesday afternoons at 2pm – the UK’s only afternoon commercial vehicle sale. Manheim Gloucester’s two weekly sales will each feature more than 250 vans.
Matthew Davock, Manheim’s head of LCV, said: “The market place has been extremely strong from the start of the year, with Manheim auction halls being packed with buyers and online flashing away. There have been very healthy attendances at all our seven CV auction centres, with buyers out in force to purchase after a December that was relatively starved of stock.”
