8:44 am, August 14, 2026
Family-owned Snows Motor Group has more than doubled its profits following a year of significant change.
Accounts recently filed via Companies House show that the South Coast-based retailer made a pre-tax profit of £3.27m in the 12 months to the end of December 2025.
The result is a whopping 150% up on the the previous year’s £1.3m, amid major changes to the makeup of the firm’s dealer network.
The shake-up began as early as January 2025, when Snows axed its operations on the Isle of Wight, which included franchised deals with the likes of BMW, Mini, Fiat and Vauxhall at a site that was eventually sold in May.
Also in January, Snows closed Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealerships in Southampton, followed by Fiat and Jeep showrooms in Portsmouth in April and a Mazda site in Chichester in May.
Meanwhile, the firm opened a new Vauxhall dealership in Portsmouth in April and a Plymouth Polestar location in June, while Leapmotor was added to five existing Stellantis sites throughout the year.
The period also saw Snows open four new BYD sites in Newbury, Chichester and Waterlooville and Honiton, taking it total number of showrooms with the brand to six.
In his strategic report, boss Stephen Snow said the increase in profitability was down to higher revenue from the additional sites, as well as improved margins.
Amid such drastic change, gross margins increased from 12.6% to 12.9%, with turnover also climbing 8.3% to £796.69m
Writing in the accounts, Used Car Awards Lifetime Achievement winner, Snow said: ”The profit before taxation totalled £3.3m compared to a profit of £1.3m in 2024. This increase in profitability is due to the increased revenue as a result of additional sites opened in the year and the increased gross margin due to the continued focus on profitable business in the year.
‘The company continues to demonstrate good monetary management and has a strong focus on cashflow management.
‘The company undertakes ongoing evaluations of its brand representations to ensure we are aligned with our strategic plan and, in this rapidly changing marketplace, are partnered with franchise partners we believe we share common goals with.’
He added: ‘The demise in representation of various Stellantis FCA brands was countered by the dualing of five Stellantis Leapmotor dealerships at Basingstoke, Southampton, Romsey, Chichester & Portsmouth.
‘The company are committed in maintaining strong relationships with all of our existing franchise partners.’
Elsewhere, Snows ended 2025 with an average workforce of 1,025, down from 1,065 a year earlier, despite the opening of a number of new sites. However, this did not stop employee costs rising from £44.48m to £45.97m.
The accounts also show that the business continued to fund its operations through a combination of retained profits and vehicle stocking loans, with stocking loans standing at £49.61m at the year-end.
Capital expenditure also increased, with £2.31m invested during the year compared with £1.88m in 2024.
Despite the improved performance, Snows did not pay a dividend for the year.
The accounts published cover Snows Motor Group. Documents for Snows Business Holdings – the ultimate holding company of the dealer group – were published later and show an overall pre-tax profit of £5.08m, against a turnover of £796.69m.
Those documents also reveal that directors received just over £3m throughout the year, compared to £1.55m in 2024, with the highest paid board member pocketing £750,796, up from £360,902 in the previous accounting period.
Story updated on 18/08/26 to reflect Snows Business Holdings accounts