Location Analysis: Germany's Car Dealership Hotspots

Digitalization, changing mobility habits, and declining revenues: traditional car dealerships face numerous challenges. A study by the Institute for Automotive Industry predicts that the number of car dealerships in Germany will significantly decline in the coming years. Traditional dealerships must adapt to changing market conditions. But what is the current state of the German auto trade?At Localyzer, we took a closer look at the number of car dealerships and discovered that, on average, the 20 largest cities in Germany still have 4,817 dealerships. Measured against registered vehicles, drivers in Nuremberg have the best chances of finding a dealer. The situation is different in Stuttgart, a hub of the automotive industry: here, there are only 166 dealerships, equating to 0.55 dealers per 1,000 vehicles, placing Stuttgart fourth in the negative rankings.For this study, we analyzed car dealerships listed on mobile.de and gelbeseiten.de across the 20 largest cities in Germany. We also considered factors such as the number of registered vehicles, city area, and population.

‍Nuremberg Secures First Place for Dealerships Per Vehicle

‍Across the 20 largest German cities, there is an average of 4,817 car dealerships – 319 of them in Nuremberg. The city in Bavaria leads the rankings, with the most dealerships per vehicle. With 247,839 registered cars, there are 1.29 dealerships per 1,000 vehicles. Drivers in Essen also have relatively good chances of finding a dealership, with an average of 295 dealerships – approximately one per 1,000 vehicles. Bielefeld ranks third, with 0.92 dealerships per 1,000 cars (164 dealerships in total).The fourth and fifth spots go to two cities in Saxony. Leipzig and Dresden currently have 201 and 184 dealerships, respectively. Their ratios stand at 0.86 and 0.8 dealerships per 1,000 vehicles. Hannover matches Dresden’s ratio, with 0.8 dealerships per 1,000 cars (177 total).

‍Frankfurt, Bonn, and Cologne: Fewer Dealerships Per Vehicle

‍Frankfurt ranks last with the lowest number of dealerships per vehicle. The city has only 138 dealerships for 347,638 registered cars, equating to 0.4 dealerships per 1,000 vehicles. Bonn shows a similar situation, with 86 dealerships and 174,650 registered cars, resulting in a ratio of 0.49. Cologne follows closely, also with a ratio of 0.49 (243 dealerships). Berlin ranks just above with 0.51 dealerships (635 total) per 1,000 vehicles.Stuttgart, despite its reputation as a leader in the automotive industry, also disappoints in terms of dealership density. The city has only 166 dealerships, equating to 0.55 dealerships per 1,000 vehicles, placing it fourth from the bottom.

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‍Bavaria Leads in Dealership Density Per Square Kilometer‍

Nuremberg not only leads in dealerships per vehicle but also in density per square kilometer, with 1.71 dealerships per square kilometer. Munich also shows a relatively high concentration, with 1.47 dealerships per square kilometer. Essen ranks third, with 1.4 dealerships per square kilometer. Düsseldorf and Bochum follow with approximately 1.14 and 1 dealership per square kilometer, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively.

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About the Study

This study analyzed car dealerships listed on mobile.de and gelbeseiten.de in the 20 largest German cities. The average of both sources was calculated for each city. Factors such as the number of registered vehicles, city area, and population were also considered. The analysis was conducted on April 16, 2024.

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