Used, new car shortage still felt by Barrie dealerships

Car dealerships in Barrie hoping to turn the corner regarding vehicle shortages will have to wait a while longer.

A shortage in microchips through the pandemic has rocked the car industry in regards to meeting consumer demand.

The lack of production has shrunk dealership lots across Barrie, with inventory harder to restock than ever.

"We saw a little bit of an uptick on supply earlier in the year, and as of late, we saw a little bit of a pullback on the numbers, a little bit more concern with chips being provided," said Ralph Murphy, Georgian Chevrolet Buick GMC general manager.

According to Murphy, the shortage has created an industry-standard five-month wait period for those looking to order a new vehicle.

For those purchasing premium vehicles, that wait is extended further.

"Because of the shortage of inventory on new cars, it's creating a shortage of inventory on used cars," said Tim Hoogaars, Acura of Barrie general manager.

"What we're seeing is consumers are actually fixing their cars more than they are in a trade cycle because a lot of consumers aren't comfortable with pre-ordering their cars."

At Moffatt's Mazda, the dealership has altered its marketing strategy slightly, focussing on attracting more sellers to fill up its lot.

"Whether that's lease takeovers, somebody trading in, there are tons of areas where we source them," said Mark Moffatt, general sales manager.

"Online, auctions, you name it and kind of every brand, we're looking to bring in as many as possible."

While the summer has been more of the same, the three dealerships are hoping chip shortages will rebound by the end of the year.