Market Reports

Last year set a new record for car registrations with 2.69 million units sold in the UK. Retail sales were strong in the first half of the year driven by strong PCP business. PCH is also growing at a pace as buyers opt for car usage rather than ownership in bigger numbers. Overall, according to SMMT figures, market share for ...

The new car market is looking strong. Registrations in November rose 2.9% to 184,101 units and year to date are ahead 2.5% to a record 2,514,764 units. The market was fueled by fleet which saw an increase of 5.1% for the month while registrations to private buyers fell 1.2%. It would appear, so far at least, the political upheavals in ...

Each month Auto Trader looks at the fastest cars to sell on forecourts. Fast selling cars are good for dealers because they improve stock turn, which translates into increased turnover for the year and hopefully, with skill and experience, increased profitability. This month the two fastest selling cars were very specific editions of the Citroen C4 Picasso and the Seat ...

The UK commercial property market has seen a significant drop in confidence and investor demand following the Brexit vote. That was the conclusion of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors commercial property market survey carried out after the Referendum on 23 June. It said both the investment and occupier sides of the market had been impacted and rent and capital ...

The new car market has been growing for the last three years and while the debate over registrations versus sales will rattle on, there’s no escaping the fact that retail buyers are in the market and with interest rates at an all-time low they have cash to spend. Indeed, recent figures produced by the Finance and Leasing Association showed that ...

Manufacturer websites are the first port of call for customers researching a new car purchase, according to new research from the International Car Distribution Programme, the independent automotive research company. The DataPort Consumer Survey research also found that new car buyers make 3.2 visits to 2.4 dealers during the buying process, while 85% of new car buyers conduct online research ...

The UK is seeing the emergence of an increasingly polarised market in the property market. That’s the view of property consultant Rapleys which sees a growing divide between some of the biggest dealer developments currently under construction and the growing number of pop-up businesses. “In the last few years we have seen an emerging trend of polarisation in the automotive ...

Judging by the dealers we follow on Twitter and Facebook most do a pretty good job at promoting themselves and engaging with current and prospective customers. Those who do it well post regularly with meaningful and personalised content, often with a strong local flavour and with supporting images. However, many just use social media as a blatant extension of the ...

Ford Focus remains one of the most popular cars for used car buyers. March turned out to be a positive month for dealers in both the new and used car markets. Registrations of new cars rose 6% to 492,774 units, the 37th consecutive month of growth and the best March performance since the twice-yearly number plate changes were introduced in ...

Last year was a good one for UK dealers with record profitability and buoyant new and used cars sales. It looks good for 2015, too. Interest rates are at a record low. The economy is improving and unemployment is falling. The increased activity in most sectors is driving up the cost of UK commercial property, including dealerships, although it is ...