Forklift truck sales in the UK have seen six months of growth in 2017, bucking the trend of the wider economy, the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) reports.
BITA’s latest market index showed that sales of the vehicle rose by 6% in the first half of 2017, recovering from a dip in 2016. The fork lift market has seen two consecutive quarters of growth in 2017 despite downward trends in consumer spending which have negatively affected its wholesale distribution, which was down 9.7%.
However, sales in the retail distribution sector have shot up 35.7% over the last 12 months exceeding year-on-year growth in online shopping.
BITA secretary-general James Clark said, “Despite the uncertain economic environment, forklift sales seem to have begun their recovery from the downturn seen during H2 of 2016, particularly in the retail distribution sector.
“The economic mood has seemed increasingly uncertain with a number of factors casting doubt over UK growth. Despite this, forklifts continue to be in demand, fulfilling their role as enablers of business growth and supporters of the UK economy.”
October 6, 2017
