Used van market 'beginning to see shortages'

Van drivers in the market for a used vehicle may find it increasingly difficult to purchase one in the coming months.

A report from British Car Auctions (BCA) has revealed that the number of second-hand vans available is starting to dry up, as the impact of slow sales of new vans three years ago is now becoming felt in the used sector.

This reflects the typical three-year cycle for these vehicles to reach the second-hand market, with sales having fallen significantly in 2008 due to the impact of the recession.

Duncan Ward, BCA's general manager for commercial vehicle sales, stated that the combination of falling stock levels and rising demand following the end of the recession could lead to average prices increasing.

"We are already seeing some signs of increased demand now the tranch of business failure vehicles from 2010 and earlier this year have washed through," he said.

A separate study from BCA this week revealed that the number of businesses choosing to shop for second-hand vans online rose in 2010.

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