The hot topics shaping the agendas of those at the forefront of the automotive retailing industry Meeting chaired by: Simon Dixon, Rockar founder.  Why was the meeting called and who was in...

By Lynda Ennis, founder of Ennis & Co Change is happening at an ever-increasing pace in the automotive sector. The winners in the battle for survival will be the organisations and people who are...

News that web giant Amazon has started its supermarket-style home delivery service in the UK shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone with a keen interest in online shopping trends. The Amazon Fresh...

By Charles Eveson Are you thinking of branching out with your own business, or acquiring an addition, even one of your competitors? It might not be relevant for large, multi-franchise retailers...

With the way the industry is evolving, looking back over the last year seems a little pointless. The last few months alone have seen countless stories detailing advances in online retailing and...

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Globally, more than 5 billion people are texting, tweeting and browsing on mobile phones. Thirty billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook every month. People upload 48 hours of new video to...

Good clean used car stock remains difficult to source and many dealerships – desperate to keep a full pitch – are retailing cars which really aren’t up to standard or are outside the normal...

There are now more than seven million drivers over the age of 65 on Britain’s roads – 19% of the total number of full driving licence holders, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists. This...

Is the auto retail industry missing out on the best management because of a lack of training? It’s something I’ve been thinking about following a meeting I had with Steve Nash, the chief executive...

The past 20 years have seen a dramatic shift in the way business vehicles are acquired. Firstly, as a result of favourable VAT rules, leasing and contract hire companies have attracted a significant...

 The latest industry stats reveal that aftersales, for so long the backbone of profitability, is at best stagnant, with just about every KPI related to service either static or in decline. So: 1....

Mill Garages Volvo opened its first ever pop-up showroom, in Gateshead’s Metro Centre, to drive data capture and test drives for the September plate-change month. “It opened towards the end of...

New car registrations in September topped the psychological 400,000 barrier, up 12.1% and retail sales were up 17.9%. It’s the best performance since March 2008. Are you surprised? Probably not....

In retailing, getting the ‘welcome’ right is the hardest thing we do. Making each and every person that steps on to your premises feel that you’re really pleased they’re there is no slight...

BMW is following the lead of Apple and o2 by putting a ‘Genius’ product expert into many of its retail outlets. The company has just made public large-scale plans to boost the levels of...

Had my hair cut last week. Nothing particularly unusual about that, given that it happens every six weeks or so, but this was the first time at this particular salon and it set me thinking about the...

New car sales in the UK are likely to dip back below the two million mark in 2013, according to forecasts from leading global analysts, IHS Automotive. The forecaster is suggesting 1.97 million units...

Auto retailers who have effective mobile-optimised versions of their online websites are now getting more than 20% of their new and used car sales enquiries from smartphones. Indeed, at least three...

With temperatures dropping, now is the time to set up your online marketing activity for winter and cold-weather sales. The previous two harsh winters for all parts of the UK mean that this year, more...