The agency model is gaining ground, new entrants are arriving from all angles, and the moving target that is the government’s EV plan are among the major issues facing retail groups today. Lockdowns...

The short-lived ‘growth at all costs’ doctrine introduced by Liz Truss and Kwarsi Kwartang in recent weeks was said to be a challenge to the orthodoxies of HM Treasury economics. The ‘markets’...

The last 12 months have been a very good year for the automotive sector, particularly for most vehicle retailers. Whilst 2023 will obviously have serious challenges, hopefully the business practices...

Retailers must derive revenue from their EV charging infrastructure as manufacturers look to increase on-site availability. Bill Bexson, managing director of Automotive Property Consultancy (APC),...

APC has noted a decline in OEMs’ new site search activity as they manage network consolidation and market area adjustments. This suggests that the car dealership property stock is starting to...

The total number of dealer groups operating in the UK did not change in 2020. Despite the pandemic, groups remained at a steady 185 as of January 2021. Sales points fell by 43 to 3,516, which is a...

The Chancellor’s response to the Consultation on Business Rates reform as outlined in the Budget statement was disappointing. After delaying his response four times in the last year, the Chancellor...

There is industry-wide acceptance that a combination of e-commerce, changing customer behaviour and new technologies such as VR will have a profound effect on the retail landscape going forward. The...

Dealer balance sheets have been, tested but they are proving resilient. Listed dealers have significantly reduced debt over the past decade and several leading dealer groups have strong net cash...

The distribution model for cars in the UK needs to change, and it needs to change quickly, with manufacturers moving to a hub and satellite dealership strategy. So says TW White and Sons managing...

Over the past few years, it has been fascinating to observe how automotive manufacturers and retailers have embraced both the physical and online space as dual sales platforms. With the latest news...

The dealership format has been a period of evolution, and the current crisis will only serve to accelerate the process. Bill Bexson, managing director of Automotive Property Company, believes that...

The negative impact on global GDP is expected to be more severe than during the global financial crisis (GFC), with PMIs falling to record lows in the eurozone, the UK and the US. However, current...

Buying habits are putting retailers and manufacturers under pressure, but that is not the only problem for retailers. Rising property costs driven by local business rates and wage growth, as well as...

The surge of regulatory and technical innovation is starting to shape the evolving new form of the car and mobility business, and the car dealership is the agent of change, adapting to the...

A busy March saw a number of retailers reporting their results, turning in some very different performances in a more difficult market. First came Vertu with its preliminary results to 31 January...

A property portfolio which owns the Stafford, Shrewsbury and Blackburn Audi dealerships generating an annual rental income of almost £750,000 is on the market for £11.6 million. The Swanjar...

  FORD TO LAUNCH ONLINE SALES THIS MONTH RETAIL PROPERTY PORTFOLIOS ON THE MARKET `ALTERNATIVE TO CAR OWNERSHIP’ CLUB GROWS INCHCAPE LAUNCHES PERSONAL CONTRACT HIRE SCHEME NEW LOOK FORDSTORE...

The Government’s valuation office agency (VOA) has revealed that rate increases to only 1.3 % of the 1.85 million rateable properties in England have been contested in the year to 31st March 2018,...

With the UK market remaining centrally important to manufacturers as the second biggest market in Europe, behind only Germany, it is no surprise that the motor retail investment sector remains...