7:42 am, August 20, 2026
Dealer group Listers saw pre-tax profits fall by almost 15% to £12.7m last year as it continued to move brands from traditional franchise agreements to agency models.
The Car Dealer Top 100-listed group recorded turnover of £1.31bn for the year to March 31, 2026, down from £1.344bn a year earlier.
Profit before tax dropped from £14.9m to £12.7m, while profit for the year fell 17.2% from £10.8m to £8.9m.
Listers said the shift from franchise to agency agreements was the ‘most significant factor’ behind the fall in turnover.
The group sold 1.9% fewer vehicles during the year, including agency sales. New vehicle volumes fell 1.5%, while used car sales were down 2.7%.
But despite the lower turnover, gross profit remained almost unchanged.
Gross profit edged up from £197.1m to £197.4m, while the group’s gross margin improved from 14.7% to 15.1%.
Listers said the improvement reflected changes in the mix of its business, including the move to agency agreements and lower new car sales, as well as a 3% increase in aftersales turnover.
The group also said improvements in aftersales and agency sales margins had helped strengthen its overall gross margin.
Land Rover, Lexus and Volkswagen were the group’s biggest contributors to profit during the year.
During the year, the business also began representing MG in Northampton and Solihull in July 2025, and ‘continued to assess opportunities’ with Chinese car brands.
Directors didn’t give much opinion on the year’s performance nor any forward-looking statements, but the report did say: ‘The directors anticipate continuing profitability from the existing trading outlets.’
Listers paid £15m in dividends, less than half the £36m distributed to shareholders the previous year.