Summer Sales Not as Big as 2005

GM’s “72 Hour Sale” ended last week, and it could also be the end of big discounts for the company this summer. GM has remained relatively conservative so far, not offering the same big discounts it did last year when employee pricing was all the rage. There’s also word that Chrysler’s current Employee Pricing Plus sale is lagging. Meanwhile, Ford is still quietly offering significant deals on some models with its “Drive On Us” sale, “American Idol” tie-in and all.

Current GM incentives expire July 18, and there is speculation that a new sale or cash-back discounts will be announced on July 19. For now the company is only saying it won’t revive its employee pricing program. We’d hazard a guess that GM will follow Ford’s lead and offer major discounts on slow-moving or outgoing models. While that’s not really a new practice, it shows a more reserved game plan than we saw last year as each of the Big Three tried to outdo each other with larger red tags.

[GM Won’t Revive Employee Pricing, The Detroit News]