When Arnold Clark chief executive Eddie Hawthorne openly conceded that he had initially felt the COVID-19 crisis would be “over by Easter”, it was clear that nobody in the sector could have imagined being in lockdown 12 months on.
The phased easing of COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’ could deliver a staggered recovery for car retail or a double whammy of opportunity for dealerships across the UK, it has been suggested.
Dicksons of Inverness boss Fraser Bryce has said that he was ‘delighted’ with assistance offered by the NHS as the car retail group worked to tackle clusters of COVID-19 coronavirus at two of its dealerships.
Growth in the value of used cars is beginning to stabilise despite signs of an acceleration in demand from consumers as the easing of COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’ draws nearer, according to Auto Trader.
Manchester-based car finance company Zuto has hired 100 new staff members since June 2020 to increase its workforce by 40% during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new issue of AM is out now with insights into dealers’ learnings from lockdown, and how they can prepare for an electrified vehicle ramp up as we near the 2030 UK Government target.
Strike action proposed by COVID-19 hit employees at the DVLA’s Swansea headquarters could be set to impact the car retail sector’s own recovery period, Cox Automotive has warned.
Car dealers in Scotland have told AM that they are exercising pragmatism rather than excitement over the re-opening of car showrooms in April after COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’.
Online search data and car buyer survey data has led What Car? to assert that there “healthy demand building in the market” ahead of April’s re-opening of showrooms across the UK.
Heycar will reward car dealers with vouchers for Domino's Pizza, BT Sport and electrical goods as part of its new Lift the Cup sales incentive scheme.
The Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) has predicted a “strong recovery” from the consumer car finance sector after volumes declined by 35% as COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’ stalled trading in January.
Park’s Motor Group has confirmed that it closed the doors to one of its Nissan dealerships after a number of employees tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
Automotive ecommerce specialist iVendi has helped UK car retailers to facilitate £1.3 billion in vehicle sales in the past 12 months – up £200m despite the impact of COVID-19.
Auto Trader has painted a positive picture of the car retail sector during March’s COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’, with consumer confidence reaching new heights and dealers trading at 90% of normal volumes.
Demand for used cars is starting to accelerate as buyers look to make post-lockdown purchases, according to Starline Motor Finance.
CarGurus’ 2021 Buyer Insight Report has found that the 63% of car buyers are now open to the idea of buying a vehicle online as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mazda UK managing director Jeremy Thomson has told AM that the brand plans to “capture back” 50% of March sales lost to COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’ showroom closures in April, May and June.
Staff headcount at iVendi is set to “almost double” over the next three years, in support of expansion plans in the UK and Europe, says chief executive James Tew.
Marshall Motor Holdings chief executive Daksh Gupta has said that the AM100 PLC will consider repaying Government furlough payments “if we have the opportunity”.
Marshall Motor Holdings reported revenues down by 5.3% to £2.15 billion as pre-tax profits rose 3.7% to £20.4 million in a COVID-19 impacted 2020 car retail market.
