New van registrations fell by 4.3% in January, compared with January 2015, the latest SMMT figures have revealed.
According to the SMMT, 21,102 LCVs were registered during the month, making it the first month of decline since July 2015.
Demand for vans weighing between 2.0-tonnes and 2.5-tonnes fell by 23.8% compared with the same month in 2015, while vans weighing less than 2.0-tonnes saw an 11.8% drop in registrations compared with January 2015.
Pick-up registrations, however, are booming – growing by a quarter compared with the same month last year – and vans weighing between 2.5-tonnes and 3.5-tonnes saw a slight increase in sales – up by 2.1%.
“On the heels of a record-breaking 2015, which saw LCV registrations grow by an impressive 15.6%, January’s levelling off in demand comes as no surprise, and is indicative of what we can expect for the coming year,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
“The overall market remains very strong, with business confidence high and the trend for home deliveries still growing,” he added.
