A senior business leader in a dealership group recently briefed his colleagues with “data is the lifeblood of our dealerships” at the start of our meeting with his team. I have to say that this...

The pressure of rising costs for retailers and the cost of living crisis’ impact on consumer spending that sees people cutting spending on car maintenance is now affecting dealer profitability...

Economic factors such as rising inflation and interest rates are accelerating change in consumer confidence. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased to -41 in June, a new record low....

There is a pent-up demand for financial products and services that have a positive and demonstrable social and environmental impact. Failing to meet expectations will compromise customer retention,...

Independent retailers in both the used and franchised sectors could add as much as £15,000 to their bottom line profit by learning how to squeeze more money from their businesses and embrace new ways...

More than 35 retail groups and six US-based National Sales Companies are now using Cox Automotive’s Clutch platform to underpin their customer subscription services. The subscriptions allow vehicle...

Car buyers and owners are changing their behaviour, driven largely by the ever-increasing range of information available to them online. However there is no evidence that online research is replacing...

The future of the car industry has never been under as much pressure from so many different directions as it is right now, with authorities, the consumer and the environment all likely to have an...

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...

Corporate leasing company ALD Automotive is planning to expand its retail offering by selling vehicles directly to consumers, bypassing the retailer. The plan would be to offer cars directly to...

PSA’s now standalone DS franchise is extending its network footprint to include Peugeot retailers, with the UK managing director for both brands Bekir Hassan insisting that the nominally premium line...

PSA Group has united its mobility and smart services offering under a new brand, Free2Move, which it says is a response to the major shifts taking place in society and the emergence of new...

BMW’s digital services boss has promised to keep retailers involved in the monetisation process as the brand’s connectivity evolves. Speaking to Auto Retail Bulletin at the recent Paris motor show,...

As summer finally arrived in the UK, markets seemed reluctant to spoil the mood. In a third straight month of gains, the FTSE 100 index of blue chip stocks closed 1% higher, while the more...

In the dawn of the digital age we have seen dramatic changes in the way customers shop. And the automotive industry hasn’t escaped this; while it still relies heavily on the physical presence of car...

BCA Marketplace has announced the acquisition of Ambrosetti, which offers specialist preparation of new and used vehicles. BCA says Ambrosetti will be integrated into is services division, BCA...

‘It’s always been like that’. ‘It will never change’. Those are the sort of comments you often hear from aftersales staff when discussing why the two departments...