'Ghost month' haunts auto sales

The so-called “ghost month” took a toll on the automotive industry in August, as year-to-date vehicle sales growth came to a near halt at 0.2 percent after sales declined across nearly all car segments, marking the slowest growth rate of the year.

- DEXTER BARRO II

Ghost month, which falls in August, usually coincides with people avoiding big purchases as part of a Chinese tradition that important decisions made during this time may attract bad luck.

Based on a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), such avoidance could have contributed to the 5.5-percent month-on-month dip.

Car sales in August reached 36,174 units, lower than the 38,295 in July. This is also a 7.6-percent drop from 39,155 vehicles sold in August last year.

From January to August, car sales grew slightly at 0.2 percent to 305,381 units from 304,765 in the same period last year.

Commercial vehicles (CVs), which continued to be the top driver of sales for the industry with a market share of nearly 80 percent, fell to 28,583 units in August from 30,175 in the previous month.