Editor’s Blog

Motor dealers have seen a fall in their pay over the past year as commissions and incentives were cut. This is not surprising given the pressure on the new car market. Even the used car market has felt the pain in recent months with a fall in values hitting the bottom line. The pay pain was felt at the top. ...

Check out the October issue of Motor Trader. This month we look in detail at the new car market and the pressure dealers and brands were under in the September plate-change. Some brands have been criticised by dealers in recent months for chasing big volumes without providing adequate incentives. With new cars under pressure, dealers have been putting a lot ...

Motor finance is in the news with the Financial Conduct Authority looking at the way in which commission works following a three year review. I’m no expert on motor finance, or indeed compliance, but it looks to me that in terms of good practice all staff involved in motor finance should get the best training they can. A lot of ...

The long awaited report on motor finance was published this month by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It wants to change the way commission works in the motor finance sector because consumers could be paying more than they should. The FCA found that some dealers were over-charging with higher interest charges in order to obtain bigger commission payouts for themselves. ...

In this February issue of Motor Trader now online we identified those individuals who have influenced the motor retail sector over the past year and are set to make their presence felt in 2019. The Top 50 Movers & Shakers charted the personalities who are innovating and setting the pace in a fast-changing business. Our listings include profile ratings and ...

Our annual look at the financial performance of the Top 200 Franchised Dealers in the UK shows a sector in good health. The sector is employing 6,000 more people that it was a year ago and the report reveals who is paying what to get the best staff they can. The pace of consolidation is less frenetic than in the ...

Dealers are investing more in their websites and digital marketing to improve their used car offer, boost the numbers of cars they sell and improve stock turn and profitability. In the November issue of Motor Trader we take our annual look at the operations of the Top 50 Independent Dealers in the UK who have turned in record performances in ...

It was a one off, an exceptional month. The September plate-change revealed just how difficult it was for some brands to get their vehicles compliant with the new WLTP rules that came into effect on 1 September. August sales had been higher than expected and September was always going to be difficult for some brands while others showed significant increases. ...

August year on year new and used sales volumes were boosted as dealers moved to clear non WLTP-compliant stock ahead of the 68 registration plate change, according to the September Glass’s Monthly Market Report. Glass’s chief car editor Jayson Whittington said there was a 23.2 per cent jump in car registrations last month compared to August 2017, which he attributed ...

House of Fraser is now contemplating having to close stores to cut costs and try and stay in business. This is just the latest retail giant to reconsider its position on the high street, with Marks & Spencer doing the same just recently. Maplin and Toys “R” Us simply went bust. The finger of blame originally pointed at these businesses ...