Mooney: Sales scheme okay

HOLDEN chairman and managing director Denny Mooney says he is pleased with the results of the employee pricing campaign that kicked off in November - the same month Commodore sedan was outsold by Falcon sedan - and continues to blame slowing large-car sales on ageing models.

"Am I disappointed from the sales results from the employee pricing program?Not necessarily," he said. "Sure, I would love to have seen maybe it take off the way it did, for example, in North America.

"On the other hand, it’s doing what we wanted it to do. We had too much inventory. It basically covers inventory that had been out already as of a certain date. But it’s done a good job moving the inventory for us. We’re pleased with what it has done."Mr Mooney said the staff pricing offer will continue until the end of this month, but conceded large-car sales would remain static until new models appear.

"It (November) wasn’t a great month, but ... the upper medium-segment certainly flattened out if not come up a little bit already. I don’t know that there will be a big renaissance until some new products come out - because, quite honestly, the products in that segment are all getting towards the end of their lifecycle.

"I don’t see big growth once again until we get the new product, but I see the first half of next year being pretty level."Holden's employee pricing offer ends on December 31.