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This year has been tough for dealers, and and the jury is out on the final quarter of 2020. Critically, all eyes are focused on how registrations will perform in the September plate-change.
In the September issue of Motor Trader, we interview John O’ Hanlon, who is well known in the business.
He launched Waylands Automotive in November 2017 with the acquisition of a Volvo franchise in Reading. It came just 16 months after stepping down from his role as CEO at Ridgeway following the sale of the group to Marshall for £106.9m.
Three years ago, O’Hanlon unveiled a five-year plan to turn Waylands into a £100m-turnover business. He’s almost there. The group now has Volvo franchises in Newbury, Oxford, Reading and Swindon and last year saw pre-tax profits of £500,000 on turnover of £83m.
The group is on target to exceed these figures in 2020 despite the impact of coronavirus. The September issue also includes the MT Digital Marketing Survey, where we canvass the views of over 200 dealers. Much has been made of the lockdown and how it has accelerated digital in motor retailing as dealers sought to keep in contact with customers with showrooms closed.
The September issue also includes Franchise Focus on SsangYong with new MD Kevin Griffin at the helm. The Korean brand continues to recruit dealers. Most recently Hawkins Motors, based in Shrewsbury. And before that Parkhills SsangYong, located in Bury, Greater Manchester Parkhills.
We also look at the latest NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey. Conducted in July 2020, the survey had 2,590 respondents one month after dealerships could re-open post-lockdown on 1 June. The dealer experience has changed, with social distancing and hygiene protocols in place, and more sales going online.
The changed experience has led to the addition of a new question to the survey: How satisfied are you with the level of your manufacturers support throughout the COVID-19 crisis? Lexus came out on top with a score of 9.6, followed by Toyota and Kia. The average score for this question was 6.4, with Hyundai posting the lowest score of 2.7.
And finally, to the Motor Trader Awards, which in 2020 are celebrating 30 years of excellence. We wish all the shortlisted companies every success.