Car buyers’ perceptions of the buying process continue to be impacted by rising interest rates, sustained inflation and volatile gas prices. Retailers appear to be underestimating the effect of the...

Automotive retailers have often been celebrated for the experiences they offer to their customers. From digital showrooms to personalised vehicles, the industry has continually innovated to keep up...

Consumers across most markets trust the retailer where they originally acquired or normally service their vehicle, far more than they trust the manufacturer. This is a key finding of the Deloitte 2023...

2020’s legacy will be one of immense disruption, but following disruption always comes the opportunity to refocus and reinvent. Anchored by themes of wellness, advocacy, and empowerment,...

The lifeblood of any successful enterprise is good, sound business information. Whether you’re trying to fill supermarket shelves, make national plans for the NHS or sell cars, senior decision...

A lack of trust in safety technology and an emotional attachment to car ownership are two key road blocks to a future of vehicle sharing and self-driving cars. According to a new study, it could be at...

Customer experience is critical to brand and retailer loyalty and advocacy, but too many retailers are failing to appreciate the crucial role that the service experience plays, and the importance of...

Satisfaction levels have increased among consumers using franchised dealerships when it coms to aftersales services, with 83% reporting that they were either very satisfied or quite satisfied compared...

More than ever before, the automotive industry finds itself under pressure from all sides: consumers are demanding new and costly features – often without the willingness to pay – while the...

Dealer finance is gearing up for potential change in the year ahead as we await the publication of the FCA’s findings into its review of motor finance. Having worked on both the finance company and...

Levels of satisfaction appear to have fallen with both franchised and non-franchised dealers over the past six months. Asked how satisfied they were with their last experience, 80% of respondents said...

The news that Bentley has sold its stake in auto retailer HR Owen will likely only be significant to those with a good memory and an interest in history. For the number crunchers in the room...

People have made decisions based on ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Good reviews are gold dust for dealerships: 73% of consumers say that a positive online...

Trust and transparency are what today’s car buyers are telling us are important to them. But what actually do we mean by trust, why is it so important, and how can automotive retailers respond? A...

The majority of consumers who have interacted with franchised automotive retailers within the last two years consider them to be professional, knowledgeable, reputable and reliable, and to offer good...

PCP is seen as being a good proposition to close a deal, and a good mechanism for retaining customers. But how do you maximise the opportunities and how do you address the challenges. Peader Bruton,...

Willingness to consider a 100% online car buying process is growing among consumers, bringing with it both threats and opportunities for traditional automotive retailers. The key findings of an...

Targets for customer satisfaction index scores actually work against improving either customer service or the customer experience. Only by starting to focus on dissatisfaction do things start to...

BMW has sided with Apple on the issue of user information security following the recent case in the USA where the FBI has asked Apple to allow it to read the information on a customer’s iPhone....

At a glance, the first two stories in this week’s issue of Auto Retail Agenda may not have very much in common. However, they are both linked by one thing that’s key to any kind of retailing. And...