Car dealerships are planning a recruitment drive for staff over coming months. They will be looking for technicians, sales people and service assistants for the most part, but also considering what they need in other business areas. National Franchised Dealers Association has lobbied the Government throughout the year to extend the time period in which the industry is able to use their year’s … [Read more...]
Operating guides for dealers
NFDA is creating a new series of ‘hands-on’ guides to provide franchised dealer members with straightforward, operational guidance on the main issues affecting them, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association. After analysing our daily legal enquiry reports, NFDA has launched a new series of operational guides covering some of the key areas which have been … [Read more...]
Welsh lockdown badly hits car dealers
The firebreak lockdown has wiped 25% off new car sales in Wales, revealed figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It is a warning to England which has just gone into a month's lockdown as opposed to the fortnight shutdown in Wales which ends on monday after 3,677 new cars were sold by Welsh dealers in the three weeks they could open last month.October new car … [Read more...]
Dealers and charity working to help
The NFDA has launched a new HR survey asking franchised dealers a range of questions around employment and recruitment issues in the automotive retail sector.The apprenticeship levy, working from home, the gender pay gap as well as mental health represent some of the issues NFDA will examine through the survey. The findings will be shared with members and analysed in more detail via … [Read more...]
Spark of help for independents in ev sector
The Electric Vehicle Approved accreditation scheme reopened on monday.EVA recognises dealers’ expertise in the electric vehicle sector and promotes industry standards for the benefit of the consumer. The scheme encourages dealerships to further develop their ability in selling and servicing electric vehicles, as the country continues to move towards a zero-emission future.The … [Read more...]
Vans deliver good returns in September
Home deliveries have delivered for the UK van market. Sales of light commercials grew by 26.4% in September following a weak month last year, when the market was affected by emission regulations changes. “It is encouraging to see the van market experience an uplift in registrations of over a quarter indicating that a degree of confidence has returned to the sector”, said Sue Robinson, Chief … [Read more...]
£1 Billion plan to support auto supply chain
The Automotive Transformation Fund is a programme that aims to establish a competitive and sustainable UK Supply Chain. It offers a share of up to £1 billion of funding for industrial research and capital projects to support the industrialisation of a high-value, electrified automotive supply at scale. This is an expression of interest (EoI) competition and companies have until 14th October to … [Read more...]
Buyers back in the driving seats
Car buyers are flocking back to showrooms and forecourts, said the National Franchised Dealers Association. Through the findings, NFDA aims to assess the implications of the COVID-19 lockdown on the automotive retail sector and understand how the industry is now recovering. Their survey asked dealers questions about their return to work including the percentage of dealerships that reopened, … [Read more...]
Tradelines 5 August
The car market turned upside down in July, said Sean Kemple, MD of Close Brothers Motor Finance. The bounce back from near-zero sales in April to a 11% uplift in July reflects the momentous release in pent-up demand because there is usually a summer slump, but 2020 has been anything but normal. Right now it’s the used car market where the real growth is taking place, reports Alex Buttle, … [Read more...]
Tradelines 17 June
Over 1,000 temporary contractor jobs are going at JLR as the executive car maker struggles to control losses as a result of the global pandemic hitting sales and it saw a downturn of £501 Million in the first quarter of the year. It has raised its cost cutting target by £1 Billion as it seeks to save £5 Billion by March including slashing capital spending by £500 Million. There were more … [Read more...]