10:43 am, October 13, 2023
Redgate Lodge has expanded by opening a third site – this time specialising in low-insurance cars.
The Used Car Award-winning dealership snapped up the freehold of the site in North Shields to add to its Shiremoor showroom for quality used cars costing £10,000 to £60,000 and its nearby preparation centre.
Redgate Lodge Select will specialise in low-insurance, economical, affordable cars that have a retail value of £4,000 to £10,000.
Managing director Scott Sibley said: ‘It’s rare that freehold opportunities become available in our area, so when I was told a site was going to be for sale, I immediately offered the owner the asking price and instructed my pension scheme to make the purchase.
‘As soon as I viewed the premises, I knew immediately it would make a perfect addition to the group.’
He added: ‘When my wife and I first opened the business in 2010, we started with just small cars. We only had £20,000 in savings to spend on stock, so we would buy Renault Clios and Ford Fiestas, etc.
‘As the years passed, we naturally changed and grew our stock profile and for whatever reason swayed away from our budget selection of cars.
‘Over the years, our customers often asked for smaller or budget cars and unfortunately we haven’t been able to help, resulting in missed opportunities.
‘My plan with the new Redgate Lodge Select is to stock around 100 cars from £4,000 to £10,000.
‘They’ll be small cars, family hatches, ideally up to eight to 10 years old with a good service history and no more than 80,000 miles on the clock.’
He added: ‘Since opening on September 1, we have noticed a huge increase in finance and other products, whereas in years gone by we always found that customers who were purchasing a slightly cheaper, more affordable car would pay with cash and weren’t really interested in warranty products or future-proof fixed-price servicing.
‘We now like to think we have a car for everyone. We have systems in place to ensure our customers receive world-class service and aftercare and our group stock level has now reached 350 units.
‘We also now have a team of 42 amazing employees, who collectively keep the wheels spinning.’
