Online sales records continue to break at Manheim Auctions

Simulcast, Manheim Auctions’ online broadcast of physical auctions, has never been so busy with a record 2,100 vehicles sold in January 2009, up 78% year-on-year. The number of online bidders is now often exceeding 100 per sale at several auction centres including Coventry, Leicester and Rotherham, with a high of 131 online bidders at Colchester. Nearly 12,000 online bids were received in January 2009, more than double the total in January 2008 and the value of vehicles sold by Simulcast to more than 450 online buyers in January 2009 was more than £13 million.

Last month’s online sales growth has continued a trend from 2008 when Manheim Auctions’ web-based Simulcast service, which broadcasts live action from the auction halls of all 19 of its UK auction centres saw nearly 14,000 vehicles sold to online buyers. This was an increase of 27% on 2007.

Manheim Auctions’ Simulcast is the UK’s premier trade-only online wholesale channel, linking trade buyers via the internet to physical auctions, where they can view, bid and buy vehicles in real time, competing with other online buyers as well as buyers actually in the auction hall. With all of its 19 UK centres geared up to broadcast live physical auctions over the web Manheim is now transmitting live action from the auction halls for around 40 auctions every week.

Commenting on Manheim Auctions’ Simulcast sales success, Mike Pilkington, Managing Director, Manheim Auctions & Remarketing said, “Our commitment to online sales channels and continued investment in technology-driven services has proved to be a great success. Perhaps most notable has been the acceptance by the great majority of buyers that if they can’t attend the physical auction due to other work commitments or, more recently, bad weather conditions making travelling hazardous, then they can simply join in via the internet from the comfort of the office and bid and buy online. The continued growth of Simulcast during 2008 did not come as a surprise but even though January is usually a strong month for sales, the level of online sales experienced last month is unprecedented.”