Waiting times for Nissan Motor cars in Japan have shrunk far below those of other local brands, the latest sign of weak customer demand threatening to worsen the carmaker’s slumping profits.
While the country’s other major carmakers take half a year or longer to ship a new vehicle in Japan, many of Nissan’s most popular models can be delivered within a month or two. Similar dynamics are also playing out in the U.S., where inventory levels are typically higher: Nissan had an average of 109 days’ supply in October, well above the industry average of 85 days and Toyota Motor’s 35 days, according to market researcher Cox Automotive.
Part of that is a lack of popular hybrids, another reflection of the challenges facing Nissan, where an outdated product lineup and inventory backlogs are fueling a cycle that threatens to hasten the carmaker’s decline. Elevated spending on sales incentives is cutting into profit, which is shrinking, forcing Nissan to shed 9,000 jobs and cut a fifth of capacity.
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