The message from retailers responding to the Auto Retail Network Barometer is clear: 2024 is expected to be a challenging year. This view has hardened since the last survey, just six months ago. The...

Fears are growing among retailers for profitability through the first half of 2024 and beyond, with an increased number (34% versus 31% six months ago) anticipating that profit will be down. The...

Retailer fears over profitability have eased, with a reduced number (46% versus 57% six months ago) thinking profitability will be down through the rest of 2023, and a growing number (15% versus 5%)...

With the UK looking certain to go into recession in 2022, which the Bank of England forecasts will be prolonged, if shallow, sentiment among retailers over the country’s economic prospects has hit a...

The UK inflation rate is currently 9.4% but the Office for National Statistics estimates this could increase to 11% by the end of 2022. This creates challenges for all businesses as they seek to set...

The recent economic challenges and the industry headwinds have seen a dramatic change in sentiment among retailers for the coming six months. Outlook on the economy is now overwhelmingly negative,...

Despite challenges of supply in the new car market due to the semiconductor shortage, retailers find themselves in something of a purple patch. Consumers have the desire for vehicles and money to...

It’s not a surprise to see that dealers are generally downbeat about the state of the economy, with the balance of expectation toward fewer new car registrations in 2021 on the back of what was...

With the challenging business conditions, retailers remain concerned about new car sales over the next six months, and more now believe we will see increased forced registrations to make up the...

With dealerships having reopened in June, retailers have been able to gauge the enthusiasm among consumers for purchasing new cars, and by and large they are encouraged. However, there are still fears...

The UK’s automotive retailers are expecting 2020 to be another challenging year, with one telling Auto Retail Bulletin that he expects only the very best, and those with the deepest pockets, to...

The supply issues created by the new WLTP regulations are still weighing heavily on retailers, with many expecting ongoing problems well into the first half of 2019. Combined with the economic...

While new car and used car sales are increasingly cited as pressing issues among retailers for the next six months, it is the issues created by the new WLTP regulations that are causing real...

A new market that fell 5% in 2017 and challenging conditions going into 2018 do not seem to have seen much of a relaxing in manufacturer targets, with 95% of retailers citing new car sales as a...

Judging the latest barometer results, it seems that those concerns expressed by dealers in July 17 continue to be exacerbated by the uncertainty of Brexit, along with increasing demands from OEMs,...

Uncertainty and challenging market conditions are not only clear to see in the Barometer results but also when we regularly meet our clients and prospects. There are many significant challenges, with...

Manufacturers, particularly at the volume end of the market, are seemingly unsympathetic of the UK’s challenging economic conditions and lack of consumer confidence, and are still pushing hard on...

The pressure to self-register new cars has lessened slightly since last summer where it was a major concern for 95% of retailers, but 78% still think it will be an issue over the next six months. And...

Relationships between retailers and manufacturers have improved slightly, according to the latest NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey, but are still a cause for concern. A 0.1 point increase in the key...

Fleet operators are growing in confidence, with 43% believing that the total number of cars and vans they run will increase over the next three years. This sense of optimism is strongest among smaller...