Progressive retailers understand the value of customer feedback. In most cases however this only extends to the feedback provided after customer acquisition typically solicited in the form of a review...

In our articles so far this year, we have covered aftersales and used cars in terms of showing what’s important. This month we will look at your lifeblood and your biggest cost: people. People...

No one in car retailing, from the most senior management to the newest apprentice, should ever be too afraid to ask questions when it comes to winning and retaining customers. In today’s competitive...

There is a massive chasm that your ready-to-buy customers are falling into, and they disappear forever, without a trace. I have been speaking to a number of dealers recently about a big issue I have...

The retail landscape has been shifting in recent years and the pace of change will continue to accelerate in 2017 and beyond. So how dealerships can prepare themselves to prosper in the face of new...

The rise of connected cars has come in a variety of forms, and from a number of different directions, with manufacturers and aftermarket installers both tapping into the modern car, and recording...

As auto retailers, it’s very easy to be caught up in the latest trend or as one of my industry colleagues puts it Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS). Over the last decade or so, we’ve seen an explosion in...

As online searches for information have steadily replaced visits to the retailers’ premises, so the importance of the quality of information, the accessibility of information and the speed of...

By Jeremy Evans The importance of data is increasingly growing – in terms of permission and quality – as consumers show their willingness to engage with companies who send them personalised,...

By Huw Evans  We hear it all the time. Sales margins are decreasing, meaning that retailers are often having to do more for less. A recent statistic from ASE yielded a 12.4% decline in...

Welcome to 2016 and I hope it turns out to be a great year for the industry. For many in automotive, 2015 looked good on paper with increased new car sales, PCP continued growth and manufacturers...

In order to improve as a business, there is an argument that large retailer groups should change how they have traditionally operated as they have grown, moving away from the multi-location,...

Effective advertising online is common to a lot of dealers these days, but many more have yet to fully embrace the digital channel opportunity. Here are some hints on how to increase...

Auto Retail Network has launched a new report that reviews, rates and ranks the top 50 leading franchised dealership websites in the UK for customer usability. At the top of the chart for the 50...

Dealerships are often fairly light in the way they market aftersales. Most dealerships use their DMS to send out service and MoT reminders, but beyond letting the customer know via email that they’ve...

Manufacturers increasingly are trying to control their networks with automated CRM systems, and auto retailers have spent a fortune on them. But the more we automate our lives, it seems, the worse...

A Northumberland sales executive has clocked up 10,000 car sales, while holding down a full-time job as an ambulance driver and paramedic for much of his career. Over the last 30 years, his...

Five key digital trends will influence the motor trade this year, according to web services company GForces. 1. Consumers won’t be the only ones looking for value. Showroom footfall is...

The quality of response to sales enquiries, and out-of-hours enquiries in particular, is high on the agenda of dealerships and groups right now – and looks set to go higher. According to Andy...

Last month’s issue of Auto Retail Manager revealed a shocking statistic. According to the BCA Report, almost half of used car purchasers are not contacted by the dealership after delivery. The...