The sale is huge, and so is the impact on the local economy.
The annual Megasale event is on at CN Centre, turning Exhibition Park into an automall for nine days. The sale ends at 8 p.m. Saturday.
According to lead organizer Dan Denis of Concept Design, the attendance numbers show a strong economic base and a strong connection from the regions of northern B.C. to Prince George.
"The weather has not been a bad thing. People are at the lake and on the patio and in the garden and down at the Megasale," Denis said. "Its about 50-50 the customers from Prince George and from outside of Prince George. Some years it has even gone slightly over half and half, in favour of people from out of town. That's a great bump for the hospitality industry and shopping centres."
This year is the first year the event can claim a nine dealers in nine days, a goal Denis has long strived for. Several dealerships have been actively involved in the event over the years, but with the addition this year of Hub City Volkswagen, it means nine dealers representing more than 20 vehicle manufacturers are all in one place.
In addition to Hub City Volkswagen, the Megasale has Prince George Motors (Ford), Wood Wheaton Chev GM Oldsmobile, Wood Wheaton Honda, Northland Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Northland Hyundai, Northland Nissan, Prince George Toyota and Gustafson's Kia.
The CN Centre event site has full provisions for vehicle appraisals if you are trading yours in, financing for the purchase, and insurance so you can drive it away at the time of purchase.
There is no way to know exactly how many vehicles are purchased through the event, said Denis, because each company has their own figures from the nine days, some deals begin there but don't close until later, and some begin prior to the event and close at the Megasale. He gives a ballpark figure of about 1,000 vehicles that leave the Exhibition Park grounds in the hands of a customer.
"People ask me if you really can get a better deal at the Megasale, and I can tell you from what I've seen that it is absolutely the place to go vehicle shopping even if you don't buy the vehicle the same day," Denis said. "People love being able to test drive one model, then go drive the comparable models, and even go back and forth a few times, just to make the perfect choice. When your competitor is 50 feet away, if you don't compete for those consumer dollars, the sale walks right next door. It puts the onus on the dealership to do their best work. Sometimes it also comes down to what the dealership has for national incentive programs."
The numbers work for the consumer, but also for the dealerships. Denis said the companies involved "almost always leave with a smile" and he has heard from some that more business was done in that nine days then in some entire months.
"What's good for me to see is all the co-operation between the dealers of Prince George," he said. "This is the only sale like this anywhere in B.C. It is quite unique that we can get nine dealers standing shoulder to shoulder on a common theme, a common bond, and there is a social aspect to that. People who could feel like enemies end up having a good time together, and that's good for the city."
There is no charge for the public to attend the Megasale. And despite the cornucopia of cars, the multitudes of trucks, there is still plenty of free parking for the public.
