3 minute read
each brand have?
HOW MANY CAR DEALERS DOES EACH BRAND HAVE?
• 202 FRANCHISED DEALERSHIPS CLOSED THEIR DOORS FOR GOOD LAST YEAR • VAUXHALL SHED THE MOST CAR DEALERSHIPS WITH 58 SHUTTING UP SHOP • FULL LIST OF NUMBER OF DEALERSHIPS FOR EACH BRAND REVEALED
by Rebecca Chaplin
@BelieveBecca
More than 200 franchised car dealerships closed last year as manufacturers slashed their networks.
In total, 202 sites were lost, taking the number of UK franchised car dealerships from 4,766 to 4,564, according to exclusive Car Dealer Magazine data.
The majority of the losses came from Mitsubishi pulling out of sales in the UK with the loss of all 100 car sales sites.
However, new owner IM Group said it now has 105 aftersales service centres with a further three satellite sites instead.
Ford still has the most car dealerships in the UK with a total of 335 dealers as of January 31, 2022 – but it did lose 25 dealers in the preceding 12 months.
Vauxhall lost the most dealerships in the year, slashing 58 of its car dealers, taking it to 224 sites.
It declined to comment on the drop when contacted by Car Dealer.
Of 51 car brands on the list, 24 lost one or more dealership in the past 12 months.
This is the second year that Car Dealer has compiled the list of new car dealerships. Figures from the last research are included for comparison in the full list on the next page.
Stellantis brands made up five of the top 10 biggest fallers this time around.
This included Vauxhall’s 58 sites, Fiat losing 14, Abarth eight, Peugeot seven and DS six.
SOME MANUFACTURERS GREW
The list wasn’t all bad news, though, as there were 15 manufacturers that expanded their network, with MG topping the highest climbers.
It added 24 new dealerships in 12 months, making it the 12th biggest network in the UK with 144 sales sites.
Seat also added seven new dealerships, followed by Subaru and Alpine with six each. The French sports car brand nearly doubled its count in just 12 months.
Jim Holder, editorial director of Haymarket Automotive, said: ‘The rationalisation of dealership numbers is likely to be a long-term trend as manufacturers work out how best to service customers.
‘It’s clear that the bigger operators are moving towards a future of fewer dealerships covering larger areas, likely with investments in online sales portals and more flexible purchasing journeys, including home delivery, to help cover the geographical gaps.
‘I imagine that the trend for smaller dealerships, in town or in shopping mall outlets, will also accelerate.
‘With dealership visits falling prior to purchase, and habits changing quickly as a result of the pandemic, this is likely just the start of this trend – although it’s clear from the expansion investments from smaller manufacturers that there is still an optimum level of coverage that is required to succeed.’
THE TOP3
335 DEALERSHIPS
224 DEALERSHIPS
Jim Holder
Editorial director of Haymarket Automotive
Brand
Ford Vauxhall Kia Toyota Volkswagen Peugeot Hyundai Nissan Dacia Renault Suzuki MG BMW Citroen Mini Honda Seat Skoda Mercedes-Benz Mazda Audi Land Rover Fiat Isuzu Volvo Abarth Jaguar Subaru SsangYong Cupra Jeep Smart Lexus Porsche Alfa Romeo DS Tesla Aston Martin Bentley Alpine Lotus Ferrari Lamborghini Maserati McLaren Rolls-Royce Caterham Bugatti Polestar Genesis Mitsubishi Number of dealerships in 2022
335 224 192 181 180 179 165 165 154 154 149 144 135 133 130 129 129 129 124 122 115 113 113 100 95 86 83 71 65 55 53 49 46 46 45 26 25 20 20 13 13 12 11 10 9 7 5 2 2 1 0
Number of dealerships in 2021 360 282 190 181 181 186 165 167 154 152 150 120 135 137 132 135 122 127 122 121 120 114 127 102 100 94 86 65 68 57 58 50 45 45 47 32 21 16 20 7 15 12 10 11 9 7 5 2 2 0 100 Change
