Philip Nothard

Agree, you get the return for what you invest - if you follow and engage with the right people, it pays dividends and more. I've met some brilliant new friends on Twitter and will no doubt meet many more. Things can't always be measured in ££££££'sss - sometimes these are hidden in other 'gems'.

https://soundcloud.com/cap-automotive/after-a-record-march-can-the-new-car-market-keep-on-growing

Glad you like it Umesh and that it's useful - it is for the Dealers and obviously completed by the dealers. It hopefully gives a holistic view of the market and creates questions etc. Thanks again for your continual support and input. Philip

If you've not received a notification and would like to have a say in this months insight survey and be part of the results, please feel free to use the link below - everyone's welcome: https://t.co/a6FMySUkJQ

All, As we know Q1 has been an interesting time for both Franchise and None-franchise dealers with the pressures and focus from the manufacturers, and the continual threat used volumes are just over the hill! There’s been some very intriguing debates surrounding Pre-reg./tactical registrations, with many mixed messages about whether they’ve been done to achieve target or just to take advantage of the ‘cheques’ on offer from the manufacturers. Interesting that Retail takes up a 2.6% Y-O-Y increase; whereas, Fleet picks up the slack with a +12.4% (Business -11.4%). An area that is always one to watch, is the performance from the manufacturers via Daily Rental, with Vauxhall down -19% and BMW -37% comparing 2014 to 2015 but overall the sector is +15%. How is the general market for yourself, is the quality of Used stock still a concern and driving premiums for the ‘ready to retail’ product? Do you believe the used volumes are on the way, the main stock currently through auction centres appears to be dealer part-exchanges – so is the fleet replacement due? Are there ‘pockets’ of tactical registration models that will impact on the used car market – such as the rumours of the Zafira’s done in Dec 14’?

For those who may not have seen this report earlier today, I thought it would be worth sharing. This demonstrates the increasing usage of forums from the consumers and the interaction. http://http://www.brandwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Twitter...

It's certainly a big number to hit and is the promise of 'Free' listing enough? If the 'Free' listing doesn't engage with consumers and therefore doesn't drive any traffic to the dealer/seller, then the Zero investment for a zero return is potentially only taking up resource and muddying the water? I 100% agree, that any competition is healthy and anything that can and does bring costs down for dealers is a GREAT thing. Definitely one to keep an eye and support where possible,.

It's certainly going to be an interesting one to watch.

Just out of interest, when looking at the various advertising platforms available in the market - do you look at PPC, R.O.I.or overall monthly cost - maybe broken down on a per sold vehicle? Is it sometimes the case, that you are investing into the same audience of consumer? From my early days in the 'trade', is one platform more relevant for your stock profile than another or can one fit all??

Not me Umesh :-) Does it make you question if they have something to hide or not who they are 'pretending' to be? #JustSaying

All, Following the success of the For Dealers, By Dealers Survey and the demand to continue, I am now circulating the February 2015 'edition'...... Hopefully, you were part of its content so far, and found the results insightful and hopefully useful to understand how the market is performing across the network - from Independents, Franchise operations, Supermarkets and anyone involved in our diverse industry. If you haven't been involved and would like to be, please feel free to access using the link below and by all means send me your contact details, and I will ensure you are on the initial circulation. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/73XDHYS Once the results are in, I will share the finding both direct and through the forum - as this is completed by you The Dealers, and it is intended for you The Dealers. Many thanks for all the support and involvement and hope you find it useful. If you would like to see the results for December and January, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll send you over a copy. Kind regards Philip

More than welcome, don't forget to email me your details and I'll send you the results from Dec and January - then include you on the February response. Cheers Philip

Hi, its finished now; however if you email me philip.nothard@cap.co.uk I'll send you the results and add you to future direct links. Hope that helps. Philip.

Interesting, is this an element to support the reason that two thirds of the network are reporting a 'squeeze' on margins this month? As retail competitiveness increases?

All, Following the success of the first survey carried out in December 2014 and the demand to continue, I am now circulating the January 2015 'edition'...... Hopefully, you were part of its content last month, and found the results insightful and hopefully useful to understand how the market is performing across the network - from Independents, Franchise operations, Supermarkets and anyone involved in our diverse industry. If you haven't been involved and would like to be, please feel free to access using the link below and by all means send me your contact details, and I will ensure you are on the initial circulation. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R2GRCSG Once the results are in, I will share the finding both direct and through the forum - as this is completed by you The Dealers, and it is intended for you The Dealers. Many thanks for all the support and involvement and hope you find it useful. Kind regards Philip

Interesting point regarding PCP returns - this was highlighted in a recent article released It would be very insightful to know how this compares with other brands?

Has the first weekend of 2015 shown light at the end of the tunnel for business picking up? Is the stock beginning to find its way through, giving you some choice and quality retail opportunities?

Do you feel there is a little 'teething - point proving' going on here? I've never seen so many cars on a main road clamped near me over the Xmas break from the DVLA- which raises the question, what were they doing previously? In your case, how long did the process take to have it 'unclamped'?

There does seem to be some mixed messages out there at the minute; however this is due to extreme 'micro-climates' of some of the dealers. I'm also aware that some major supermarkets are not entering into the January Sale game this year, as they felt it didn't increase the sales volumes but did lower the PPU. On the AT question, it would be interesting to understand the ratio of consumer valuation requests on the cars they are intending to part-exchange against those they are looking to purchase - entering the VRM from the advert??

All, Below is a link to the first test of a monthly survey, by the dealers - for the dealers. The intention is to share on a monthly basis to a select basket of industry contacts and circulate the results back to that same group. If you are interested in taking part, and not already received an invite - please contact me direct to supply relevant contact details. philip.nothard@cap.co.uk 07702 382025 In the meantime, below is a link for an initial first test: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BKLRMY6

How much does the colour itself influence the price to you pay and subsequently retail a used car for in today's market? If you take the Ford Focus as the example, would you pay a difference price for a Black which covers 12% of the cars sold, over Red, which accounts for 5%? Then what about when it comes to the differences between a Black Zetec compared to a Black Titanium X? I accept that it would be relative to the age and mileage, and that models such as the STs will perform differently, as an Orange ST-3 will attract more than an Orange Zetec S (if you see one :-)) Please let me know your email address, and I will send the file below over to review and give your opinion - or just add it here. Indicate if you feel there is a distinct value difference from the met to flat colour. See attached file.......

HI, how do I add an Excel file to this thread?

Please let me know your email address, and I will send the file below over to review and give your opinion - or just add it here. Indicate if you feel there is a distinct value difference from the met to flat colour.

How involved and up to date are you with the latest from the Office of Fair Trading - Used Car Commission. Interested to hear you personal views on the subject, as when comparing the relative number of complaints against the transactions taking place - we're not too bad!! Check out the link: http://tradingstandards.gov.uk/policy/Usedcarcommission.cfm

How much does the colour itself influence the price to you pay and subsequently retail a used car for in today's market? If you take the Ford Focus as the example, would you pay a difference price for a Black which covers 12% of the cars sold, over Red, which accounts for 5%? Then what about when it comes to the differences between a Black Zetec compared to a Black Titanium X? I accept that it would be relative to the age and mileage, and that models such as the STs will perform differently, as an Orange ST-3 will attract more than an Orange Zetec S (if you see one :-))