If there is anything positive to come out of the coronavirus pandemic, it is that the vast majority of the public are acutely aware of the importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness; particularly when it comes to hand sanitisation. It is virtually impossible nowadays to enter any building without being urged to take advantage of the ubiquitous hand sprays on display.
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, has run a survey of dealers of all sizes to understand the implications of the COVID-19 lockdown on the automotive retail sector. The survey asked dealers questions about their return to work including the percentage of dealerships that reopened, current online activity, and levels of customer booking as well as phone enquiries.
On Friday 19 June, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) wrote to Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP to highlight the potential impact of the delay in allowing dealerships to reopen in Scotland. While dealerships could reopen on 1 June in England, 8 June in Northern Ireland and 22 June in Wales, dealers in Scotland have been given the green light from 29 June. Acting on behalf of its Scottish members, NFDA states that it has repeatedly urged the Scottish Government to consider reopening as soon as possible in view of the specific circumstances of the sector. The NFDA previously said there had been “positive trading” at dealerships in the other parts of the UK since reopening.
The NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey Spring 2018 is the fifth issue of the survey which is commissioned by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and executed by Public Knowledge, an independent market research agency, to explore current consumer perceptions of franchised dealers and their competitors as well as understand consumer aftersales behaviour.
“The overall relationship between franchised car dealers and manufacturers recorded an average score of 5.6* in the Summer 2017 Dealer Attitude Survey, which is -0.5 points down from the last survey and -0.6 lower than the same time last year”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK, commenting on the NFDA Summer 2017 Dealer Attitude Survey, published today (4 September 2017).
The most recent edition of the National Franchised Dealers Association survey has been published, with dealers showing more optimism about profit returns. “It is positive to see that when evaluating their satisfaction with profit return, the majority of dealers gave a response which was higher than the neutral score of 5.0. However, the average score for both current and future profit return has decreased again compared with the last survey,” said Sue Robinson, director of the NFDA, commenting on the results.
The National Franchised Dealers Association Winter 2017 survey had 1,704 respondents from a total of 29 participating franchise networks, which equates to a response rate of 41 per cent. The all-important question asking dealers ‘how would they rate their manufacturers overall’, saw a slight decline compared with last summer’s survey (6.1 vs 6.2), but it stands at the same level as the winter 2016 survey.
New vehicles registered for the first time with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) from 1 April 2017 will pay new first year licence rates based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions bands which are different from the ones currently in use. In some cases, these fees will almost double.
The new car market following Brexit, the role of dealerships, consumer legislation – including Consumer Rights Act, and the NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey, were the main topics of discussion at the NFDA meeting in Belfast. “The UK new car market may stabilise slightly in the near future, but will still be strong. Our sector has demonstrated its resilience over the past months and dealers have been coping well with recently introduced measures and unexpected challenges”, said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA).
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has revealed the results of its Winter 2016 Dealer Attitude Survey, with a high level of dissatisfaction with profit returns one of the most notable results. “It is concerning that dealers seem very dissatisfied with their current profit return, although they are more optimistic about their future profit potential,” said Sue Robinson, NFDA director. Despite the averages showing that dissatisfaction is increasing, Mercedes, Land Rover, and Kia franchises returned strong results, while others improved their scores considerably since the summer survey.
This year’s National Franchised Dealers Association Summer 2016 survey, published today, had 1,746 respondents from a total participating dealer network of 4,090, which equates to a response rate of 43 per cent. This is the highest return ever, surpassing last winter’s high of 39 per cent. There were 28 franchise networks in the survey which represent a range of dealer sizes and ownership type from across the UK.
The NFDA Winter 2016 Dealer Attitude Survey has been published, showing that dealer networks’ satisfaction with their associated manufacturer has reached its lowest average level for several years. “The relationship between car dealers and car manufacturers recorded an average score of 6.1 – 0.1 points lower than the summer 2015 survey. This is the lowest score recorded in the past 8 surveys, suggesting that a number of dealer networks are slightly less satisfied with their relationship with their manufacturer,” said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association.
There remains room for “dealers in the showroom” believes Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), following Auto Trader’s latest market review. The review shows that British car buyers are turning their backs on haggling, with a sharp rise in the number of motorists paying the asking price or more for a new or used car last year.
The beginning of the year signals the start of a busy period in most lines of work, and My Car Check Trade states that car dealerships are no different. Head of valuation services, Gavin Amos, states: “Dealerships are hives of activity in January as, with Christmas over, consumers turn their attention to looking for a new car. Footfall always increases dramatically at this time of year and retailers will have taken advantage of the December lull to stock up in readiness.
The NFDA has urged dealers to ensure their compliance with new regulations governing the way in which Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) insurance is sold to consumers. Set out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the new rules are due to come into effect on 1 September 2015. Dealers will be required to explain that customers must return to the dealership four days after purchasing their car if they want GAP insurance.
