Motor Trade Monthly Round Up December 2016
All The News From The Month Of December
As 2016 comes to an end we look at all the news from the month of December.
What You Need To Know
The importance of a strong online presence for car dealers has been highlighted again after online enquiries grew by 62% in the third quarter, according to new customer research conducted by Dealerweb. “Customers have been empowered by the wealth of online information available to them surrounding a potential vehicle purchase. This browsing journey leads many motorists to manufacturer and dealer websites, so dealers must be prepared to respond accordingly to any requests for information, such as stock and test drive availability,” said Dearlerweb’s Sales Operations Director, James Hill.
BMW dominated the 10 most searched for cars on popular car selling website Auto Trader, having three entries in the 2016 list. The 3 Series came out on top with the 5 Series and 1 Series coming fifth and sixth respectively. The Volkswagen Gold, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Ford Focus made up the rest of the top five, with Mercedes and Ford featuring twice in the top 10.
Things You Should Know
Car production in the United Kingdom hit a 17 year high as production rose to 1,613,495 units in the first 11 months of the year, which is over 50,000 more than 2015. SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said, “Made in Britain is a badge coveted by car buyers worldwide, and these latest figures highlight not just that international appeal but the fact that the UK is a globally competitive place to make cars. These latest results are the product of significant investments made over the past few years, but which will continue only if we can maintain the competitive trading conditions that have enabled the UK to become an automotive success story.”
Despite negative headlines surrounding diesel powered vehicles, the values of used diesel cars have remained high. The Director of Valuations at Glass’s, Rupert Pontin said: “This is a very delicate area. At the moment we have not seen a drop in values. However, until we see some definitive action and set pricing laid down with implementation timescales then the trade will not understand what should be penalised and how.”
Interesting News
Vehicle sales soared on Black Friday 2016, with vehicles sales 23% higher than the Friday before (18th November), according to Dearlerweb’s analysis of sales data. Furthermore, vehicle enquires also increased by 15% since the 11th November, proving Black Friday a busy day for the motor trade. Sales Operations Director at Dealerweb, James Hill, said: “These results suggest many dealers carried out extremely effective marketing campaigns. Given the greater increase in sales than enquiries, existing sales opportunities were maximised, with Black Friday offers really paying dividends.”
Finally, Vauxhall are looking into opening up pop-up stores in town centres, according to an exclusive interview with Motor Trader.
