The common narrative that franchised retailers will have an inherent lead on independents when it comes to electric vehicle service, maintenance and repair (SMR) may not be the case, new research from...

Independent dealers are allegedly outpacing the franchised sector with technology and training to handle the repair and recalibration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Peter Eden, national...

Controversial lead-generation website TrueCar is still working hard to convince auto retailers that it is “on their side” as it rebuilds its business model. The company claims it has added more than...

We all regret those cars we passed over. I remember the rusty Isetta Bubble Car taken in part exchange, which I scrapped. Or the tatty 1965 Aston Martin DB5 I could have bought for £3,800 back in...

Last month a German consultancy asked us for a detailed breakdown of the suppliers to the UK market for servicing and repairs. They wanted to know about independent garage workshops, fast-fits, tyre...

Last month’s press release from the SMMT said that a record number of used cars changed hands in the first half of 2016 – over four million, and 7.9% up on 2015. This includes private sales, but...

Over the past decade, the non-franchised workshop sector – predominantly independent garage workshops – carried out the largest volume of servicing, maintenance and repairs (SMR), including MOT...

The UK aftermarket is facing a number of opportunities and challenges. Some are driven by changes in the way people use cars and evolving vehicle technology. Other opportunities and challenges are the...

The forces driving the retail market for servicing and repairs are complex, but the most recent prime mover was the 2008/2009 recession and how this impacted on new and used car sales and the car parc...

The concept of parts wholesaling is nothing new. The average franchise dealer will supply a certain amount of parts to the independent sector as and when they are needed and there’s profit to be made...