Retail

Trade lines 9 March

9 March 2016

Sinclair Volkswagen will be providing the support vehicles for the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships on Saturday 26 March. The race will see double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah head a list of global stars competing on the streets of Cardiff in the elite event, while the mass race will attract more than 20,000 runners will … [Read more...]

February car sales hit 12 year high

5 March 2016

Strong incentives from manufacturers and dealers pushed up registrations 8.4% in February on the eve of the new March number plate. Deals encouraged 22.6% more private buyers to sign on the dotted line and they were more interested in EVs and hybrids as well. SMMT figures out show 83,395 new cars registered in February, the highest in 12 years at this … [Read more...]

Demand drove up used prices last month

2 March 2016

Strong demand drove up used values by an average of 0.4% in February, according to vehicle data experts cap hpi. The figure is a significant improvement on the 0.1% increase in February last year, and signals a strong start to the year on dealer forecourts and in auctions. Derren Martin, senior Black Book editor at cap hpi said: “Strong demand is … [Read more...]

Trade-lines 2 March

2 March 2016

A fast, efficient response to a tender document issued by Whitehead Building Services opened the door to an order for 33 Mercedes-Benz Citan vans. The vehicles, all fuel-efficient 109 CDI models, were supplied by South Wales Dealer Euro Commercials and most are Long-bodied versions although the line-up also includes seven Compacts and a couple of … [Read more...]

Welsh dealer is top of Skoda

24 February 2016

A Welsh Skoda dealer shares the importer’s award for service. Fred Rees Garages (Pembrokeshire), Winner Garage (Cinderford) and RRG ŠKODA (Rochdale) emerged victorious, in recognition of their outstanding all-round business performance in 2015. Having been benchmarked over a year-long period against a range of different criteria across sales, … [Read more...]

AA rescue used car sales for dealers

17 February 2016

The AA has come to the rescue of used car dealers. The motoring body has relaunched Vehicle Inspections for dealers, offering pre-sale vehicle inspections that will help dealers stand out from the competition, protect them against new Consumer Rights legislation and increase profitability. By having their vehicle stock independently inspected by the … [Read more...]

Trade is split over buying stock

17 February 2016

A split between "two tribes" of trade buyers - those who buy almost entirely online and others who remain motor auction-based - is becoming increasingly apparent, says Glass's. The motor industry data market leader reports that there has been a noticeable hardening in the shape and attitude of both groups over the last year or so. Rupert Pontin, Head … [Read more...]

Newslines 16 February

16 February 2016

Businesses in Wales are worried about a digital skills shortage among their young workforce. A report for Capgemini shows 18% of businesses questioned said young people did not have the necessary digial skills for modern work, the worst of any group in the UK. … [Read more...]

Defender models soaring in value after production ends

10 February 2016

Fans of the iconic Land Rover Defender who rushed to buy a piece of history are proving to have made a smart investment decision as prices soar. Automotive valuation specialists cap say good examples are demanding a huge premium over new list price. Commenting on the trend, John Watts, senior editor at Cap said: “We have already started to see an … [Read more...]

Personal loan rates threaten dealers’ offers