Parts invoices in the dealer channel last week reached their highest level since early March — before the COVID-19 pandemic began altering business in North America — KEA Advisors reported yesterday in its most recent weekly dealer survey.
According to 79 dealer responders to KEA Advisors’ weekly parts survey, the total number of parts invoices recorded last week (Week 24 of the calendar year) was nearly 36,400 units, a jump of more than 2,000 invoices from the previous week and the highest weekly total since Week 9 in early March.
KEA Advisors says last week’s jump can be attributed both to the close of May business, which occurred over the last two weeks, and a steady increase in parts sales found throughout the channel for the last month. Though the shortened Memorial Day work week remains the lowest parts invoice volume week of 2020, parts sales have been steadily rising since the close of April business. Invoice totals fell five weeks in a row from late March to late April.
The average total sales per invoice also was steady in Week 24 at $252. This was a slight increase over the prior week and well within industry averages for the year.
Unfortunately, dealer business wasn’t as strong in the service space last week.
The number of repair orders totaled by KEA Advisors’ 81 dealer responders slipped to 4,900 units in Week 24. That was a drop of more than 500 orders from the prior week but remained in line with order averages experienced in April and May. Week 23’s total of 5,460 ROs was the highest total for the service channel since Week 11 when the pandemic hit.
The average labor sales per RO was $379 last week. That was a slight increase over the $349 initial total reported in Week 23, which was updated up to more than $500 last week. After peaking at $697 of labor sales per RO in Week 12, service labor sales have fallen 11 of the last 12 weeks.
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