Vauxhall to cut LCV network
22 July 2018
Vauxhall is to establish an LCV business centre network for the start of next year which could halve the current network and follows the brand’s decision to cut its car franchise network by around a third earlier this year. Vauxhall is taking the opportunity to `right-size’ its van network, which involves taking it from 98 LCV sites today to circa 50-75, according to Vauxhall fleet sales director James Taylor.
Speaking to Auto Retail Agenda, Mr Taylor said: “These are specialist sites, separate to what is happening with the mainstream dealer precontracting. Now is the time to effectively right-size our CV network and make sure we have got a network that’s fit for both the sales side for the new product, in terms of training, specialising, demos and stock, but also from an aftersales perspective making sure there is the right customer proposition in place, in terms of out of our servicing and alternative transport provision, to make sure we have got the right offering for fleet customers moving forward.”
He added Vauxhall is currently at the point of working through which representation points will go to which retailers, with the target of 1 January 2019 as the date the new network will be live: “We need to make sure there is enough throughput per site to invest in the specialist people required to provide the right level of service.”