Price pressure is starting to show in the used car market but average used car values rose again in April, according to the latest figures from BCA. Indicators of the slowdown include performance...

During the past 18 months we have all experienced surprisingly high levels of interest in used cars, resulting in excellent sales figures and returns on investment. Any auto retailer that didn’t...

Despite the summer months traditionally recording a slowdown in demand, the latest BCA Pulse report shows that used car values increased in August for the tenth month running, taking average values...

The BCA Pulse report for March shows that, although average used car values are continuing to rise, the rate of growth appears to be slowing. Average auction values increased for the fifth month...

According to BCA’s latest Pulse report, average used car values improved for the second month running in December, but remain well behind where they were a year ago when the financial crisis was...

Amid reports of customers being offered below-scrap prices for retailable older cars, EurotaxGlass’s warns that this may have a detrimental effect on dealerships’ business long-term....

Grimsby and Scunthorpe’s Astle dealerships put the pleasure back into car buying with a ‘Simple Switch’ weekend in August that brought in 36 sales. Customers with a vehicle to...

Remember when you sold cars? The easiest time to sell one is just after you’ve sold the last one. You’ve got a spring in your step and you want to talk to every prospect even if it is...

Last month in Auto Retail Manager (ITALICS) we began our top ten countdown of key areas targeted by VAT inspectors whenever they visit a dealership – as described to our regular contributor John...

As the major sales month of March approaches and the focus is on new car sales, now is a good time to review your handover and delivery procedures to ensure they reflect your dealership’s...

Analyse the customers using your service department on a daily basis. If they bought from you in the last two years, it’s unlikely they will be thinking of changing again and contacting them may...

This struck me as particularly pertinent when a customer phoned a client retailer I was visiting and offered them her garaged, 3-year-old, 20,000-mile, one-owner Corsa since she had decided to give up...

It is crucial that vehicles sold at auction over the next few months are presented and priced correctly given the anticipated surge in availability, according to the Society of Motor Auctions. The...

eBay has been a success for us, it works well for the type of cars we sell. Most are in the £25,000 – £30,000 range, but if we get an exceptional part-exchange, valued at say...

Hopefully you are currently enjoying the warm glow that comes from a big September order bank and the expectation of a big bonus cheque from your manufacturer. But cast your mind back a minute to...

What’s the best way to ensure you get a good underwrite value on a part-ex you’re being offered? How can you source a car for a customer looking for something outside your usual stock mix?...

The simple mnemonic ‘IEDA’ (interest, enthusiasm, desire, action) has underpinned much of the most powerful and cost-effective automotive advertising to date, and is especially useful in...

BCA’s Dealer Training Division has published a new booklet, The BCA Part Exchange Appraisal Handbook, to offer basic rules and guidelines for dealership staff on how to conduct appraisals...

The main cause of over-age used cars is taking too long to prepare them and get them on display. Often that starts with waiting for a cheque to be signed at head office and then waiting for it to...

The Motorpoint car supermarket group has developed a Clear Price calculator to evaluate part-exchange prices over the phone or online in a matter of minutes. All that is required for the valuation is...