FI showroom red and grey logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Car Buyers Return in November After ‘Wacky’ October

November returned to normal after the partial government shutdown in October. CNW Research believes the purchase delays the shutdown caused could prime the market for a solid 2014.

by Staff
November 26, 2013
2 min to read


BANDON, Ore. — Research from CNW Research shows a market correction in November after a “strange October,” a month marked by a partial government shutdown, purchase delays on the part of consumers, and then a sharp reversal in the second half of the month.

According to the research firm, all indicators point to sales increasing 10 percent to 1.2 million units delivered in November. But the data wasn’t all positive.

Ad Loading...

CNW’s Jitters Index had already reached historic highs before climbing another 1.3 percent in November. The increase, according to the firm, was due to federal taxes, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and home-centric budgets for healthcare coverage.

“Nearly 80 percent of the monthly survey sample said the ACA would ‘Significantly’ or ‘Greatly’ hurt their family budget,” wrote CNW’s Art Spinella. “This included consumers who have yet to be impacted by charges in the healthcare law, such as people with employer-based insurance coverage.”

November was also marked by another slip in subprime approvals, which inched down 0.92 percent vs. October. Floor traffic, however, jumped more than 15 percent. Spinella attributed the pickup to consumers returning to the market after delaying purchases in October due to the government shutdown.

Looking at same-store sales, CNW noted a 6.81 percent increase in sales through the first three weeks of the month. When added to the boost in floor traffic and higher closing rations (up 5.4 percent), the profitability of dealerships (both small stores and public groups) should rise accordingly this year, Spinella noted.

“When consumers decided to postpone a new-vehicle acquisition because of the partial shutdown of the federal government, Pent Up Demand figures soared 25 percent in October, with an average anticipation delay in making the acquisition rising to 3.4 months,” Spinella wrote. “When the shutdown ended, however, many of those consumers returned to market much quicker than even they expected, bolstering October sales data.

Ad Loading...

“But the backlog of demand continues,” he added, noting that November’s preliminary figure is 116,500, up 6 percent form a year ago and the highest monthly number since February.

“Similarly, the percentage of postponers who said they would come back to the market within six months jumped to nearly 97 percent, clearly indicating they were set on making an acquisition within a modestly short timeframe,” Spinella added. “For November, virtually the same high percentage of postponers say they plan to buy a vehicle soon, another solid indication of a positive outlook for 2014.”

More F&I

Headshot mockup thumbnail.
F&I•October 1, 2026

Modern Technology Objection Handling

In this video, Trent White shares how to confidently handle technology-based objections by helping customers understand the value of protection, even with modern vehicle technology.

Read More →
man standing in front of podium
F&I•by Lauren Lawrence•October 1, 2026

Consistency at Scale: Driving F&I Performance

With 75 rooftops across the Sunshine State, Morgan Auto Group has proven to Floridians that it knows a thing or two about driving performance in a competitive market. But it didn’t start at the top.

Read More →
Insurance contract signature page with black inkpen on top
F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•September 22, 2026

Gitty Up on GAP

The foundational finance-and-insurance product hasn’t kept up with the latest conditions for auto dealers. Is the time ripe?

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Easycare White paper cover See how AI-powered coaching can turn F&I customer conversations into actionable insights that support compliance, performance and profitability
Sponsored•September 8, 2026

How AI-Powered Coaching Is Transforming F&I Performance

See how AI-powered coaching can turn F&I customer conversations into actionable insights that support compliance, performance and profitability

Read More →
Assurant, Sell Value Build Trust, F&I Series, Expert Trainer Trent White
F&I•September 2, 2026

Sell Value, Build Trust

In this video, Trent White explains why selling on value, not fear, builds lasting customer trust, reduces cancellations, and drives long-term success.

Read More →
2026 StoneEagle summary
F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•August 31, 2026

F&I Sales Give Dealers First-Half Lift

Product business shored up total profits to avoid an overall revenue tanking as product penetrations held steady, StoneEagle reported.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
man with white hair and glasses delivering a speech standing next to a podium
F&I•by Lauren Lawrence•August 31, 2026

Targeted Training Drives Results

Today’s technology, instead of threatening F&I managers, can actually make them better, according to an industry veteran who’s watched market setbacks roil the unprepared.

Read More →
Man's hand holding pen over a paper document
F&I•by Justin B. Gasman•August 20, 2026

Double the Change, Double the Chance

When an F&I manager gets a customer refusal, it’s a wise move to tweak more than one thing in the product offering.

Read More →
Laptop computer, tablet, calculator and notebook on a desk
F&I•by John Tabar•August 20, 2026

Just Do It

F&I managers need training, but instead of resisting application or expecting perfection, they should improve by simply acting on what they learn.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
stacks of coins, a calculator, paperwork, and a pair of glasses in the background, text Lender Experience Drives Dealer Decisions, F&I and Showroom
Auto Finance•by Lauren Lawrence•August 12, 2026

Dealer Lender Preferences Revealed

When lenders provide consistent, fast service, their overall satisfaction scores with dealers greatly improve, according to JD Power research.

Read More →