Transit CourierThe rise of online home delivery has inspired a surge in van sales according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and has led to a further 100,000 vans being registered within the first quarter of 2015 in the UK.

The 22.3% surge in van sales has been put down to the increase in online shopping and home delivery requirements. A total of 108,456 commercial vehicles have been registered so-far in the first three months of 2015 as consumer confidence grows with industry uptake. The results have led to the highest number of lorries and vans ever to be sold since the institution began recording in 1987. Car and van manufacterer Ford have the most popular model with their mid-sized Transit Custom models, acquiring 12,627 sales.

An SMMT representative explained: “Van registrations have risen consistently over the past two years, mainly as a result of steadily increasing business confidence and a range of attractive finance deals. The move towards online shopping and home deliveries is an important contributor to this growth – particularly that of large vans.”