It’s no secret that the domestic automakers are trying to shrink their U.S. dealer networks, but Ford has reached a major milestone in its dealer consolidation. For the first time in decades, Ford’s domestic dealer count has dropped below the 4,000 mark, a new report finds.
While Ford has yet to disclose exactly how many dealers it currently has, a company official revealed that the number is under 4,000, but is “closer to 4,000 than 3,900.”
According to Automotive News, this is Ford ’s lowest dealership total since it began expanding its network in the early part of the 20th century.
The consolidation effort appears to be working, too, as dealership profitability and sales per store are up in markets that have seen consolidation. Ford has not set a specific target for consolidation, but it is expected that the Blue Oval will continue the program for at least the next couple of years.
