Report: U.S. Auto Retail Network Remains Stable

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The number U.S. auto dealerships continues to remain stable, says a new report from Urban Science, a Detroit-based automotive analytics provider.

The firm’s Automotive Franchise Activity Report, which compiles dealership statistics on a monthly basis, says that as of July 2016, there are 18,124 dealerships, which is a 0.2 percent increase from 18,087 in January 2016.

“Over the last six years, the dealership network has set a new normal pattern of stability,” says Mitchell Phillips, global data director at Urban Science. “The data shows that 98 percent of local markets had virtually no net change.”

He says the most significant dealership increases occurred in: New York, (10 dealerships); Florida, (six dealerships); Texas, (six dealerships); and New Jersey, (four dealerships).

In February, Urban Science reported that at the end of 2015, there were more than 18,000 dealerships in the U.S., a .7 percent increase when compared to about 17,950 dealerships in 2014.

Founded in 1977, Urban Science has more than 850 employees. The company is headquartered at the Renaissance Center, and has offices world wide, including in Spain, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Mexico.