U.S. Dealers Poised for Record Per-Store Sales

American car dealers will sell an average of 805 vehicles this year, according to automotive retail consultancy Urban Science. That would shatter the previous record of 784 vehicles per dealership set in 2005 when U.S. auto sales approached 17 million units.

The Detroit-based firm predicts the American market will reach 14.3 million vehicles this year. Even at volume of 14 million units, the average outlet would sell a record 788 vehicles in 2012, Urban Science estimates.

Dealers also will achieve record profitability by year-end, according to the firm. It says this would be the first time in three years they made money without relying on their service departments.

Urban Science credits the improvement to rising vehicle sales and a smaller U.S. dealer base of 17,770 stores. There were about 20,000 outlets in 2008 before Chrysler and General Motors shed hundreds of dealers during bankruptcy.