At the beginning of the year, the Italian automotive industry witnessed a 7% reduction in dealers compared to 2023. This data appears from the Dealer Network Study, a study conducted by Quintegia that analyzed the situation of 31 of the most important automotive brands present on the market in Italy.
Examining the impact of recent trends on production strategies, the DNS has outlined how these elements are shaping the Italian automotive market.
Impact on sales and service networks
Data updated to January 2024 show how the automotive industry has seen a marked reduction in the number of active entrepreneurs, now at 776 and down 14% compared to the same period in 2023. There is also a significant decrease of 15% in the number of companies, which has brought the total number below 1,000 units. These changes are the result of a reorganization of networks, which favors a greater concentration of entrepreneurial activities to the detriment of smaller entities and those that are not multi-brand within the group.
As evidence of this trend, the data related to mandates and franchise sales points show a more contained decline, indicating that automotive manufacturers are opting for a concentration of sales activities in fewer hands, trying to maintain as wide a territorial coverage as possible.
Analyses also show a similar contraction in authorized service networks, where manufacturers are increasingly focused on concentrating the business in the primary network. Here, a negative trend of 10% compared to 2023 is highlighted, both in terms of the number of entrepreneurs, now about 1,900, and the number of companies, just over 2,200.
Evolution of the brand portfolio
The analysis of the portfolio of brands represented by entrepreneurs reveals an interesting evolution. At the beginning of 2024, about 40% of entrepreneurs exclusively represent one brand, a decrease from 54% in 2015. At the same time, the number of entrepreneurs representing brands from different manufacturers has increased. Another consistently rising figure is the average number of brands represented per entrepreneur, now at 2.83 compared to 2.00 in 2015; this indicates a trend towards greater diversification, also due to the presence of new brands in the market.
Territorial distribution
The territorial distribution of sales outlets shows a marked disparity across the peninsula. There are 12 regions with at least 100 dealers within their territory, and of these, nearly half – 5 – are located in the north, with Tuscany, Lazio, and Sicily standing out in the central-south. More specifically, over half of the dealers are located in the North, with Lombardy standing out among the other regions.
The automotive industry in Italy is undergoing a significant transformation, with a trend towards concentration in both sales and service activities. This scenario requires companies in the industry to adapt to an evolving market, optimizing strategies for renewed commercial effectiveness. Enterprises must consider these trends to successfully plan for the future in a highly competitive market context.
