06 May 2019

• IMPERIAL TO OPEN 11-ACRE PREP SITE
• INFINITI LAUNCHES ONLINE SALES DESPITE UK EXIT 
• CDK AIMS FOR PARTNER PROGRAMME EXPANSION
• BCA HOLDS BIGGEST EVER SINGLE RETAILER SALE WITH JARDINE
• TESLA MODEL 3 OUTSELLS GERMAN RIVALS
• FORD PUTS £350m INTO TESLA RIVAL
• STOCKWATCH – BCA down, Motorpoint up
• LAUNCH DIARY – Tesla 3, Vauxhall Combo Cargo
• COMING UP – Vertu results, Auto Retail Live Q2 Briefing, Cambria interim results, RICS housing market
• MONEY MATTERS – Four retailers a day go bust in Q1
• OUR BLOG – A Tale of Two Retailers

Imperial to open 11-acre prep site

Fast-growing Imperial Car Supermarket is putting the finishing touches to an 11-acre preparation facility at Royal Portbury Docks, Bristol, which will handle 3,500 cars a month. Due to open in July, it is in addition to its existing two-acre site in Southampton and between them they can have a monthly throughput of up to 5,000 cars.

The move means Imperial will be able to cope with stocking its 12 retail sites around the country with the potential to handle volume de-fleet/vehicle refurbishment/vehicle imaging services for other companies.

The supermarket recorded a profit of £2.5 million in its accounts to the end of March 2018.

Neil Smith, operations director, said: “Not only does this facility ‘future proof’ our business but also opens up the opportunity for the provision of volume de-fleet/vehicle refurbishment/vehicle imaging services to anyone who needs it.”

Infiniti launches online sales despite UK exit 

Infiniti has launched an online buying facility – just weeks after confirming it will pull out of the UK next year and amid doubts the service even works.

People who have tried the site at www.infinitiretailgroup.co.uk/buying-online say it does not work and that the supposed stock of around 300 used Infiniti models plus those of other makes is neither visible nor accessible.

Despite this the site contains five star reviews on Trustpilot said to have been written in the past week.

CDK aims for partner programme expansion

CDK is aiming to have 50 companies involved in its partner programme in a year’s time, up from the current nine.

The UK’s partner programme allows approved businesses to access information using an API. This gives those companies a digital key to access and exchange data which CDK hopes will drive retailer efficiencies and new projects.

The introduction of the new scheme marks a more open approach to information sharing driven by demand from retailers.

Meanwhile, CDK Global has appointed a new chief product and technology officer in its San Jose office. Mahesh Shah brings more than 20 years of experience to the company and at CDK Global will be leading on research and development, as well as building and testing for the product portfolio.

BCA holds biggest ever single retailer sale with Jardine

BCA had its biggest ever single retailer sale last month when 405 vehicles from Jardine were transacted generating £2.7 million. More than 200 buyers were at BCA Bedford with hundreds more joining through BCA Live Online and there were three more Jardine Super Sales later that week at BCA London, Blackbushe and Manchester.

WORLD NEWS

Ford puts £350m into Tesla rival

Ford is putting more than £350 million into potential Tesla rival Rivian Automotive, adding to the £550m invested by Amazon, but said the deal does not affect its ongoing talks with VW about sharing EV architecture.

U.S.-based Rivian is scheduled to begin building a large EV pick-up late next year.

https://reut.rs/2IVpFI8

Tesla Model 3 outsells German rivals

The Tesla Model 3 outsold all other midsize premium models throughout the Euro zone in March, beating BMW, Audi and Mercedes. JATO Dynamics said Tesla sold 15,755 Model 3s.

https://bit.ly/2DO1HLE

STOCKWATCH

Closing prices at 3 May and weekly movement

BCA down, Motorpoint up

BCA 199.6p (-9.2p)

Cambria 60.0p (+0.5p)

Caffyns 395.0p (n/c)    

Inchcape 613.0p (-5.5p)

Lookers 90.7p (-0.3p)

Marshall Motor Holdings 166.5p (+2.5p)

Motorpoint 182.8p (+8.8p)

Pendragon 24.0p (+1.4p)

Vertu 32.9p (-1.8p)

LAUNCH DIARY

Tesla 3. 258 miles range (WLTP). Deliveries start June. From £38,050.

Vauxhall Combo Cargo LCV. Short/long wheelbase and crew cab versions. From £16,968.

COMING UP

Wednesday: Vertu Motors full-year results

Wednesday: Auto Retail Live Q2 Briefing. 9am. Click here to register

Thursday: Cambria Automobiles interim results, RICS housing market survey

Tags: BCA, CDK, Imperial Car Supermarket, Infiniti, Total