Snows offers travel incentives and discounts with Isle of Wight branch closure

Hampshire-based family-owned firm Snows Motor Group is encouraging its Isle of Wight customers to head to its dealerships on the mainland - even offering to help pay the travel expenses for the trip – with the closure of its Newport branch.

Snows earlier this month wrote to customers announcing its Forest Road site was closing due to "difficult trading conditions in the automotive industry and a significant increase in running costs."

To ensure their customers use its Portsmouth branch, the dealership group is covering the cost of transport as well as a 20 per cent discount on labour for future service or repair jobs.

Snows operates more than 50 showrooms and workshops across southern and south-west England. Its island base in Newport operated a Vauxhall dealership and a used car centre and was also an accredited with Authorised Repairer Status by BMW, Mini, Fiat and Abarth.

In a statement, Snows said: "Due to difficult trading conditions in the automotive industry and a significant increase in running costs, we have reached a point where continuing to operate an outlet on the island is no longer feasible."

“We are in consultation with affected staff members, and where possible will seek to find them alternative opportunities within the company.

"We remain committed to supporting our island customers from our mainland dealerships in Portsmouth and Southampton and thank our island customers for their loyalty over the years."