8:43 am, January 4, 2023
Barretts Motor Group has become the latest automotive retailer to announce it will no longer open its showrooms on Sundays.
The Kent-based dealer group said in a statement that the decision had been made in order to give staff a better work-life balance in 2023.
The firm represents the likes of Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Mini, Citroen, DS and Honda, with the change being put into place at all its sites.
A spokesman for the company said: ‘Our dealerships will be closed on Sundays, effective from January 2023.
‘We have adapted our opening hours across Barretts to help provide a better work-life balance for our colleagues, whilst also continuing to deliver excellent customer service.’
Happy New Year from Barretts. Please note that from January 2023, our showrooms will be closed on Sundays. We will be operating our usual hours, Mondays to Saturdays. View our opening times here: https://t.co/S4gGJl1mw4#OpeningTimes #BarrettsKent pic.twitter.com/nOrosAimEN
— Barretts Motor Group (@BarrettsKent) January 3, 2023
The announcement follows similar moves from a growing number of dealer groups in a bid to boost staff morale.
In November, Car Dealer Top 100 outfit Pendragon launched a three-month trial following feedback from an employee survey.
Bosses at the firm also cited a desire to provide a better work-life balance as the key motivator behind the scheme.
Its move follows on the heels of Burrows Motor Company doing the same thing on a permanent basis.
Despite remaining an unusual approach in the UK, a number of US states prohibit car dealerships from selling cars on Sundays because of religious-related legislation – so-called ‘blue laws’ – dating back centuries, as well as to stop unfair competition by overworking their staff.
Other states let sales take place on Sundays but with restrictions.
Car Dealer Live – the future of the car dealer – exclusive conference features talks from leading car dealers, Google and Auto Trader among much more. Find out the full event details and book tickets.
