Dealers bounce back strongly from lockdown

A survey run by NFDA found that more than three-quarters of dealers reopened on 1 June, with the vast majority reporting a significant increase in both online enquiries and sales.

The survey was conducted twice to find industry insights and monitor trends. The first issue of the survey ran between 15 and 19 June, while the second one was conducted from 29 June to 2 July.

It found that during the first two weeks, 80.2% of dealers saw an increase in online sales enquiries while 66.7% saw a rise in online sales. Interestingly, those figures fell to 55.6% and 25% two weeks later.

However, in the used sector, 83.2% of dealers saw a larger volume of online enquiries and 55.45% saw an increase in online used car sales.

It also found that nearly three in four dealers said more customers are booking appointments prior to visiting, with eight in 10 dealers saying customers have shown interest in taking unaccompanied test-drives.

Sue Robinson, NFDA director, said: “Despite the significant challenges caused by over two months of lockdown, dealers showed encouraging signs from the first trading weeks since dealers reopened in the UK, including an increase in online enquiries and sales.

“Positively, the majority of dealers reopened as soon as they could and reported that all customers are accepting the changes to the standard operational procedures allowing retailers to continue to do business safely and smoothly.”