Agency model car retail is sure to become more widely adopted but agreements must be “balanced, collaborative and win-win”, according to Lotus Cars executive director of sales and aftersales, Geoff Dowding.
The newly-appointed manager of Paul Rigby Group’s Polestar Space Birmingham store has said he is excited by the challenge of exploring a “new form of retail”.
Paul Rigby Group will operate the UK’s third Polestar Space when the electric vehicle (EV) brand’s new facility opens its doors to customers at the Touchwood Solihull shopping centre next week.
Multi-brand electric vehicle (EV) company Innovate Automotive (IA) has partnered with the AA to offer roadside assistance to its customers.
Driverama has started selling used cars online in Germany, a year after it established a car buying service in the region.
Cazoo is targeting 100,000 annual used car sales and a £2 billion turnover in 2022 after raising a further $630 million (£414.2m) to fund its expansion in Europe and UK growth.
Cazoo has secured a sponsorship deal with Spanish LaLiga football club Real Sociedad as its strategy to drive car sales growth through profile continues in mainland Europe.
Volvo Car UK has launched a new used car sales platform that will sell its “newest” vehicle stock direct to online car buyers.
Offering car buyers the ability to buy a car in minutes online is expected to be one of six key trends dealers must embrace in 2022.
Online-only premium car brand Genesis has launched Genesis Flexibility, a car subscription service for customers across Europe.
Automotive Management (AM) Live served up a packed agenda of seminars and presentations in three theatres focussing on key aspects of the car retail business.
Honda UK managing director Jean-Marc Streng says the brand is exploring the possibilities of the agency franchised retail model as it draws to the end of “phase one” of its retail network restructure.
Online car marketplace Heycar is reintroducing its free car delivery scheme.
Peugeot UK has revealed that its online sales accounted for 15% of its retail car registrations in 2021 – doubling its digital traction year-on-year.
The electric vehicles (EV) revolution and new agency retail models are said to be placing up to 70% of existing dealership profit at risk in the next decade.
A share price slump has seen the value of online car retailer Cazoo halve since its August listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The UK’s established used car retail operators will continue to dominate the sector after ramping up their breadth of services to see off new market disruptors such as Cazoo and cinch, iVendi has said.
Driverama has said that it has no immediate plans to bring its growing online car retail operation to the UK after kicking off its growth in new European markets.
Dealer attitudes suggest a level of uncertainty about a 2022 car retail market increasingly defined by vehicle availability, the transition to electric vehicles (EV) and moves from manufacturers towards an agency franchise model.
Luscombe Motors has appointed former Mitsubishi and Suzuki finance specialist Soteris Neophytou as its new Innovation and development manager.
