• Car Dealer Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
No Result
View All Result

Litton: Reasons to be cheerful and confident in 2014

Car Dealer Magazine by Car Dealer Magazine
April 17, 2014
0
Home Columns

Screen Shot 2014-04-14 at 12.11.33MOTOR dealers are perennial harbingers of doom. When the used car market is busy, we moan that used cars are too expensive. When the SMMT figures are up, everyone cries pre-reg. You could argue this is the British prerogative.

There is no doubt, however, that the economy does seem to be picking up, particularly in the retail sector.

Poundland, Pets At Home and McColls have all announced that they intend to float on the London Stock exchange in 2014, and 2013 saw the highest number of entrants to the stock exchange since 2007.

Glass’s predicts a five per cent year-on-year growth for the new car market, and used car values remain firm.

With interest rates steady, inflation at a manageable level and the pound still relatively weak, I think there is reason to be confident in 2014.

Mercedes has another exciting year ahead, with another tranche of new models. The GLA fills a gaping void in the small SUV market, the new C-class promises to delight both retail and fleet customer alike, and the S-class coupe is a thing of beauty.

JLr cannot build cars quickly enough to satisfy demand. On a recent flight to Munich, I sat next to a project manager for JLr who spoke of the epic plans for the new site in Wolverhampton. every new JLr model looks fantastic, and the fact that British jobs are secure in the long term is a credit to Tata.

The innovative i-range from BMW looks set to create an interesting proposition for customers, and the Korean brands go from strength to strength.

Mainstream brands such as VW, Ford and Vauxhall know exactly who they are and continue to work hard with a good product line-up and creative marketing campaigns.

Manufacturers now need to support their retailers if profitable times return. Hyundai’s recent corporate identity change announcement was no doubt met with indifference by its network. Dealers need a sustained period of profitability to secure their long-term future, to invest in premises, people and process, to safeguard against a repeat of 2007.

 

Who is James Litton?

James is sales manager at Tony Purslow Mercedes-Benz, Guildford. He always has something to say about the industry he loves.

Related Posts

Free online conference from CarGurus aims to help dealers make most of changing sales environment
Columns

Comment: To succeed in the future, businesses must learn from the past 12 months

February 27, 2021
Fiat Croma was one to avoid says Big Mike
Big Mike

Big Mike: These are the old used cars to buy if you want to just keep going… and going. And some to avoid too

February 23, 2021
Woman practises yoga in park
Columns

Comment: Remember the positives from a year that most of us want to forget

January 29, 2021
Big Mike: 2020 had its humorous moments – even if they did cost me a fair bit
Big Mike

Big Mike: 2020 had its humorous moments – even if they did cost me a fair bit

January 28, 2021
Comment: Thought 2020 was hard? 2021 is set to be another year of seismic changes
Columns

Comment: Thought 2020 was hard? 2021 is set to be another year of seismic changes

January 27, 2021
Porsche rolls out online car sales in eight European countries and the UK will be next
Columns

Comment: Different strokes for different folks but will online car sales ultimately take over?

January 26, 2021

Want the latest news?

Sign up to Car Dealer's daily news email updates

Subscribe
How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed
News

How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed

February 24, 2021
Used Car Awards with Mike Brewer and James Baggott graphi
News

Who won what at the Used Car Awards 2020? Mike Brewer reveals our winning car dealers

February 11, 2021
Car Dealer issue 156 front cover and Used Car Awards
Online Magazine

Out now: Car Dealer issue 156 features our Used Car Awards, H.R. Owen CEO Ken Choo and lots more

February 23, 2021
Used car market stronger than ever as August sees sales up by nearly 50 per cent for Big Motoring World
News

Opinion: Here are 10 reasons why I think there’ll be a rapid recovery in car sales when lockdown ends

February 16, 2021
Trophy Cars forecourt
News

Investigation: Meet the hyper-specialist car dealers making their money from weird and wonderful motors

February 11, 2021
Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice
News

Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice

January 15, 2021
Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK
Car Dealer Top 100

Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK

February 10, 2021
Bitcoin ATM terminal
News

Will car dealers in the UK accept Bitcoin for payment? Dealers speak out after Tesla plans to accept cryptocurrency 

February 18, 2021
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
Call us: 020 8125 3880

© 2020 Blackball Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Car Dealer Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100

© 2020 Blackball Media

Log In
Register
Register
Server C