Rising Vehicle Sales Linked To Small Businesses’ Health

American consumers are – in theory, at least – starting to lean towards smaller and more efficient cars.  Hence the new Ford Fiesta and the soon-to-land Nissan Leaf and Scion iQ.  Heck, fuel economy even factors into ads for the new Mustangs.  So it is perhaps a good sign for small businesses that truck and van sales are increasing.

New vehicles aren’t inexpensive, after all, and if a certain type of vehicle is purchased almost exclusively by businesspeople, it seems possible to suppose that rising sales indicate economic well-being.  On to the statistics, then.

Robert Schoenberger wrote earlier this week, "Sales of Ford’s E-Series vans, commercial vehicles built in Avon Lake, are up 24 percent, but that vehicle line got new competition this year.  Ford started importing its Transit Connect small commercial van from Turkey.  Combined, sales of E-Series and Transit Connect vans are up 48 percent."

Schoenberger also wrote, "And pickup truck sales also are showing more modest improvement, up 11 percent so far this year."

Let’s just hope the conclusion he arrived at in terms of the connection between this trend and small businesses is correct.