Blogs

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced proposals to provide continued support for users of motor finance products, who face payment difficulties due to Coronavirus. The economic lockdown has put many people in financial distress, and so this news will come as a relief for many consumers. The motor finance sector is facing increased regulatory scrutiny. Just last year the ...

The vehicle remarketing industry has had to quickly pivot as a direct result of the Covid-19 crisis, and many physical auction companies are now using simulcast technology (a hybrid of physical and online) to facilitate sales. We believe this is part of a broader paradigm shift that will see a significant move to transacting online, whether that be through a ...

For decades the front line of the motor industry has barely changed. Neat rows of freshly polished cars arrayed across a forecourt, with dealers on hand to answer customers’ questions, arrange test drives and negotiate on price. As car dealerships emerge from lockdown into the “new normal”, will this model evolve? The retail sector’s surge in online spending during lockdown ...

Here are seven predictions for 2030 from Andy Carroll, director with consultancy Albeda and fomer MD of Glass’s Information Services. Manufacturers will sell cars direct at highly competitive, haggle-free prices from their own websites and their own brand stores, most of which however will be owned and run by independent retailers. At least one manufacturer group will launch an umbrella ...

The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound effect on life across the globe and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. And while the government has tried to arrest this with economic initiatives the uncertainty is likely to remain a huge concern for consumers going forwards. How should service departments respond both during and after the peak of ...

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak the onus will be on dealers to offer customers new ways to experience a vehicle, interact and transact. So what will this ‘new normal’ mean for how dealers market themselves and their stock? Dealers have traditionally been chosen by potential car buyers because of their location, the specification and price of the car ...

COVID-19 has been tough for the dealer community, but looking at things optimistically, it can be the catalyst for positive change. As the market prepares for a different retailing approach that embraces social-distancing, it is time for dealers to seize the initiative on a broader level to re-engineer their businesses and get closer to customers. Radically cutting out the middle-people, ...

You have probably seen the comments from Sky News over the weekend suggesting Pendragon had approached Lookers over a potential merger last month. To our minds, the most interesting part of the article suggested:  “One Pendragon shareholder suggested that the company could be interested in seeking an alternative merger partner elsewhere.” This suggests Pendragon could well be looking for a ...

The last week has seen further retail price movements across the UK automotive market as the dealer sector begins to realise that online sales are beginning to improve. With the recent confirmation that under controlled conditions cars can be handed over to customers, there has been an upturn in enquiries and the number of deposits being taken online. Indicators show ...

Unprecedented. That’s the most commonly used word we hear to describe the current crisis and it absolutely is. Quite simply, none of us have ever experienced and hopefully will never again have to go through anything like this. When experiencing a crisis in life, people respond in different ways. More often than not, people’s true colours come out in an ...