9:10 am, June 5, 2023
Used car supermarket group Big Motoring World is to move its HQ to new premises on the Gillingham Business Park in Kent.
The Car Dealer Top 100 firm’s new head office comes as it prepares for the next phase of its growth plans, said boss Peter Waddell.
‘Our move to the new premises on Bailey Drive allows room for growth of our existing central departments to support our expanding dealership network,’ he said.
‘We have recently launched several new dealerships, including most recently Wimbledon, and we have many more planned across this year and next.
‘The new head office allows us to expand the central departments supporting our dealers whilst also providing a base for new departments, including a car loan service and auction platform that will be set up in the future.
‘With over 37 years of growth, our staff have done a fantastic job of taking the business to new heights.’
The new headquarters on Bailey Drive are just a minute from Big Motoring World’s current HQ on Ambley Green, both of which are on the business park.
The new premises have 348 parking slots and more than four times the office space, with 40,000 sq ft available.
And as the group prepares for the move, its headcount has been steadily climbing, now numbering almost 1,000 employees across the country.
Further recruitment is expected to follow as the business continues to scale up its operations.
The premises used to be occupied by Lloyds Bank Mortgage Centre until 2018. Extensive refurbishments are now being carried out for the planned move later this year.
Bailey Drive will also house BigWantsYourCar.com, the new direct-from-consumer, tech-driven car buying service launched by Big Motoring World last year.
The service lets customers quote, appraise and exchange cars while at home, anywhere nationwide.
Speaking about the car buying division, Waddell said: ‘BigWantsYourCar.com is capable of making same-day collections, as we hold our own fleet of vehicles.
‘We set out to change the current model of online car buying services and we’ve invested heavily in technology that simplifies the process, allowing customers to do all parts of the transaction fully from their homes.
‘Our mission is to offer a fair price and unparalleled convenience to our customers and our TrustPilot reviews are a testament to how well this is going.’
Last year, Big Motoring World reported sales of 27,361 used cars – a 27 per cent rise on 2021’s figures.
It says it is on track to achieve sales of more than 40,000 used cars this year, driven in large part by the expanding dealership network.
Big Motoring World begans its growth plan in September 2021 with the launch of two used car supermarkets in Peterborough, previously operated by SW Car Supermarket.
The deal included a multi-million-pound rebuild of the Peterborough Fengate dealership on Padholme Road East.
More dealership launches are expected to be announced later in the year.
