Dealer numbers on the slide

The number of dealers in New Zealand tumbled by 14 last month and stood at 3,042 at the end of January, according to figures from the Motor Vehicle Traders Register (MVTR).

This was down from the 3,056 registered traders at the end of December and was the second month running that the total has dropped.

The latest figure is just one less than it was at the end of September last year.
January’s total is also 33 fewer dealers than the 3,075 that were on the register at the same time a year ago.

Dealer numbers have largely been in decline since hitting a high of 3,536 in November 2017.

The MVTR holds essential information about registered traders and their businesses. It is operated by Trading Standards, a business unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.