Marketing & data

An AM Live session featuring Raj Lyons Chohan, chief executive of Affinity EV, and panellists Andrew Mouat, head of smart mobility at Scottish Power, Euan Cameron, marketing director for Peter Vardy, and Jacqui Barker, global OEM director for Keyloop, shared their insights on the challenges, opportunities and strategies for delivering an enhanced EV customer experience.

While selling a car may seem like an obscure use case for TikTok, Jack Carter who heads TikTok’s UK automotive brand partnerships explains how the platform can be used to help promote and sell cars. 

The Financial Conduct Authority wants to reduce the risks of finance promotions on social media. AM examines what it means for motor retailers' marketing.

Plug-in vehicles accounted for almost a quarter of all new car sales in February, with year-on-year growth achieved by both pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).

Car retailers have been told “there is no silver bullet” in the fight to avoid potentially devastating data-grabbing cyberattacks as high-profile AM100 businesses continue to recover from hits on their digital systems.

Armed with the right motor finance solutions, dealers are well placed to help buyers into their next used car despite the storm of high vehicle prices, rising interest rates and squeezed budgets.

The continued shortage of new vehicles and demand for used ones has left car dealerships with a dilemma.

With costs soaring, a constricted new car market and a used car market under pressure, the concern that routine vehicle servicing, maintenance and repairs (SMR) could be delayed, or cheaper alternatives sought by cash-strapped customers, is all too real.

In his latest automotive retail sector analysis for AM magazine David Francis delved into the strength of the Volkswagen range, Toyota's electric car conundrum and considered whether premium SUVs might be running out of road.

While franchised dealers have been busy preparing to sell and service new electric vehicles (EVs) for a while now, used car specialists have also started to carve themselves a niche in the market.

A decade after its launch into the UK car retail sector, carwow co-founder and chief executive James Hind has reflected on the road that led to an "exciting new growth phase".

Volvo Car UK has followed its recent launch of direct-to-consumer online used car sales with the launch of Volvo Fleet and Business Online following a successful pilot scheme.

The role of the car dealership’s business manager is evolving – and digitalisation is playing its part in that change.

New car buyers are leapfrogging plug-in hybrids (PHEV) in favour of a faster electric vehicle (EV) switch as soaring fuel prices and manufacturing constraints app to the appeal of zero-emission transport.

Has the online used car retail bubble burst or have the UK’s established car retailers’ disrupted disruptors like Cazoo and Carzam with their ability to evolve and adapt to cater for the digital car buyer?

Mercedes-Benz has revealed a plan to axe up to 20% of its German franchised dealerships and 10% of its global network by 2025 as part of its shift to a direct, agency model retail model.

The used car market has been enjoying stellar growth over the past two years as demand has outstripped supply; there has been a lack of new vehicle availability and more buyers are willing to pay a premium.

With retailers operating in an increasingly challenging used car environment where stock is in short supply and prices are continually adjusting, it has become even more imperative to price used vehicles correctly to both maximise margins and maintain stock turn.

Kia’s 32,199 new car registrations in the first three months of 2022 made it the UK’s best-selling car brand year-to-date – almost 8% ahead of Ford in second place.

In the latest edition of AM industry commentator David Francis pondered how the challenges faced by car manufacturers were shaping the new car registrations rankings as well as their profits.

As the car retail sector becomes increasing digital-savvy, AM's Debbie Kirlew took a look at six key areas where strides are being made towards a true omnichannel customer journey.

There are now more avenues for car dealerships to sell their vehicles than ever before but has the part-exchange process truly embraced the transparency of a truly omnichannel customer journey?

Automotive retailers were obliged to accelerate their omnichannel retail plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but another by-product of this development has been the demise of the haggle.

Accurate customer data has always been important, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a problem that could be losing service departments tens of thousands of pounds of potential profits each quarter.