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too easy to take a depressed view of the UK economy. Indeed, the average selling price of an LCV at Manheim dropped from £4,406 to £4,283 between January and February 2013, while Valentine's Day didn't stop February from being the 18th successive month of falling sales at auction. Wholesale van sales have fallen 15 % -20% year-on-year.
However, the outlook is not all gloomy and we are not predicting an `omnishambles' for the CV auction halls. Increasingly, feverish bidding activity on pockets of vehicles is influencing the overall headline average values. Manheim advises close scrutiny of market data in 2013, specifically the contribution made by each volume van segment.
The price variances are driven by smaller sample size, stock differences and variations in age and mileage. These must be understood so that the baseline position of the market is clear.
Attendance is up Underlying demand is up and buyer attendance records are being broken week in, week out across Manheim's seven CV auction centres.
Physical buyer attendance is up 23% on the year to date compared with 2012, while online attendance figures are up 41% over the same period. With the launch of the new Manheim Simulcast platform for mobile devices, this upward trend is set to continue. Buyers can now view and bid on vehicles at multiple auction centres simultaneously, using smart phones and tablets. In 2012, more than a third of Manheim's commercial stock attracted bids online and we expect that figure to grow.
We're showcasing the new Simulcast platform at this year's CV Show and the Manheim team will be beaming live auctions into the NEC. As the commercial marketplace increasingly embraces the digital world, it is important to understand the opportunities available for selling and buying vehicles online.
We will also be demonstrating the motors.co.uk van classified listing channel and the new responsive website platform Flex, which allows van dealers to implement a cost-effective online solution, and which automatically resizes for the viewing device. • • Visit the Manheim and Motors.co.uk stand at the CV Show in Hall 5, stand 5C71.