GM Is Said to Offer U.S. Dealers 1% Incentive on 2009 Models
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Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., trying a new tactic to
stem its sales decline, is offering U.S. dealers a cash incentive of 1
percent on each 2009 vehicle they sell, according to 3 people with
knowledge of the strategy.
The so-called marketing stimulus payments will be made six months after
a vehicle is sold and will be computed from the base-model invoice
price, said the people, who didn't want to be identified because the
plan hasn't been made public. The program will run to the end of this
year, they said.
GM's offer follows the industry's 27 percent sales slide in September,
the worst month since 1991. The automaker's decline was narrower at 16
percent, as it gave all customers the discount prices paid by its
employees. GM's 18 percent drop this year through last month is more
than the industry's 13 percent.
Auto sales, already hurt by average gasoline prices that exceeded $4 a
gallon earlier this year, have been further pinched by reduced access to
loans for consumers. The industry may be headed for its lowest total
since 1993, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache.
GM spokesman John McDonald said the Detroit-based automaker doesn't
disclose dealer incentives. Most 2009 models will have reached showrooms
by the end of October, he said in an interview.
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