Thurlow Nunn to close Fakenham Vauxhall franchised car dealership

Thurlow Nunn has ceased selling cars at its Vauxhall dealership in Fakenham ahead of the full closure of the site in mid-November, customers have been informed.

The Eastern Daily Press newspaper reported this week that that the Norfolk-based car retail group had transferred the sales operations of its site on Enterprise Way, Fakenham, to its Dereham branch almost 13 miles away.

It said that customers of the facility had been informed of the move by letter, with one taking to social media to express a fear that the closure was “Another nail for Fakenham”.

Another said: “Let’s hope we keep Ford and VW - but use as many independents you can; shop local, buy local, eat local; its the only way.”

The website for the Thurlow Nunn Fakenham Vauxhall dealership’s website continues to welcome customers to the branch and there is no mention of the closure in its ‘News Blog’ section, however.

Thurlow Nunn has Vauxhall dealerships in Norwich, King’s Lynn, Diss, Great Yarmouth, Dereham, Holt and Beccles in Suffolk and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.

In February, the firm reduced its parts operations, centralising the business in Norwich’s Hall Road instead of across three smaller sites in King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Vauxhall’s UK network has shrunk dramatically since AM exclusively revealed its plan to more than 100 of its 324 UK retail locations within 12 months, back in March 2018.

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) registrations data for September revealed that the brand’s market share is now just 5.98% following a year-to-date reduction in sales of 47.5% to 72,036 (2019: 137,229).