New JLR uniform diktat angers retailers JLR has imposed new sales staff uniform rules on retailers following the “House of Brands” PR disaster that appeared to signal the demise of the Land Rover name. Using JLR’s preferred supplier the uniforms cost more than £1,000, according to one retailer. The new rules were published in April […]
Read More →Month: May 2023
Used supercars for sale up ‘exponentially’
The supply of used cars priced over £150k on Auto Trader has “increased exponentially and outpaced demand in the last year”. The number of cars is up 42% year-on-year – but enquiries have fallen 4%. It now takes 80 days to sell cars priced over £150k, a full 24 days slower than the 2022 average. […]
Read More →Sandicliffe Opens GWM Ora Dealership
Sandicliffe Motor Group has opened a GWM Ora dealership in Nottingham. This is Sandicliffe’s first showroom for the Chinese brand. Sandicliffe Nottingham joins an existing GWM ORA network of partners including Lookers Group, Wessex Garages, City Southwest, Peter Vardy Group and Chorley Group. Paul Woodhouse, Sandicliffe’s Chief Executive, said the group is delighted to represent […]
Read More →Smart UK agency model underway
Smart has opened reservations for the new #1 small electric SUV, which will be sold through a combination of direct-to-consumer and retailer agency sales. Lease and PCP programmes are being handled by ALD, in a system that requires no paper contracts. Twenty two Smart retailers are currently operating the agency model, with further expansion planned. […]
Read More →Vertu to launch new group-wide pricing system
Vertu Motors is set to implement a new group-wide used car pricing system called Vertu Insights. It will not only provide real time used car valuations but also track each dealership’s pricing against the group strategy and divisional valuations. While local business managers will still be able to determine forecourt pricing, the new software will […]
Read More →Vertu Results are Above Expectation
Vertu Motors has outperformed market expectations with a £39.3 million adjusted profit before tax figure on a £4 billion turnover for the full year to 28 February. This is a new record for the business. The results also give an insight into the OEM strategy changes from Mercedes and JLR. While the £39.3m profit figure […]
Read More →Van Mossel begins EU expansion
The Netherlands’ Van Mossel Automotive Group has acquired Germany’s Hugo Pfohe in its first major expansion outside the Benelux region. Hugo Pfohe is one of north Germany’s largest retail groups, with seven brands and a €300m (£261m) turnover. Van Mossel CEO Eric Berkhof said the acquisition “fits perfectly into our European growth strategy”. The retail […]
Read More →Record Increase in Used Car Values
In April, the average price of a used car was £17,843. This represents a 1.5% rise on March levels and the largest monthly increase since November 2021. While used car prices have grown on a year-on-year (YoY) basis for 37 consecutive months, the rate of growth has gradually lessened since April 2022 which saw a […]
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