A franchised parts dealership agreement, believed to be the first of its kind, has been signed between Citroen and Euro Car Parts, an independent parts distributor.

ECP has 30 branches across the UK, but only its Wembley branch has been awarded the contract, to supply Citroen branded parts in the north London area.

The arrangement has come about because of consolidation in the Citroen parts supply network but the carmaker is not looking to sign similar deals at this point with others.

“We were required to meet Citroen’s criterion. It means we can operate in the same way as a franchised dealer and it will widen our access to Citroen parts,” says Mark Wardell, ECP marketing manager.