14 December 2015

With house prices up in areas outside of the usual London hotspots, the BoE continuing to resist calls for an interest rate hike, news of supermarket expansion plans and buoyant car registration figures, things appear to be looking up as 2015 draws to a close.

Granted, that’s a pretty simplistic and narrow view, but for consumers these economic indicators offer a comforting picture of UK PLC’s performance. It’ll likely encourage them to spend a little more during the festive season – assuming they haven’t already started – and it might even nudge them into thinking about replacing an existing car or acquiring another one if they think they have the funds to spare.

Catching a buyer’s attention this time of year isn’t always easy, though. If you can drag them away from the supermarkets and shopping centres you’re doing well. Having endured both recently I’ve noticed an increase in the number of car displays organised by local auto retailers.

It’s hardly a new idea but, at a time when thoughts of car purchases take a backseat to securing the turkey and the tree, being proactive and meeting potential buyers more than half-way should become the norm. And at a time when news pages and discussion is filled with talk of digital marketing and building swish new websites, sometimes the human touch can still be worth its weight in gold. Or Christmas pudding.

Iain Dooley

Editor, Agenda

Auto Retail Network

Tags: Christmas, economy, selling, shopping