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Spring 2021
Voice
The
The Official NFDA magazine for the Industry
.
In this issue..
EVA celebrates first dealer accreditations of 2021
Ben Fast-Track Mental Health Support
Latest NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey
MHA Guidance available to dealers
...and more!
The Voice Interviews
James Brearley,
CEO of Inchcape UK
Welcome to the Spring David
Newman,
Edition of the Voice NFDA
Chairman
us. In February, we held a round of manufacturers grew slightly from six “Let me begin by wishing you and
well-attended and engaging dealer months ago. NFDA uses these findings your loved ones all best wishes for the
forums allowing us to update you on to address the issues highlighted and remainder of 2021 – it has certainly been
the work we are doing on your behalf, liaise with individual manufacturers on a tough and challenging year so far!
the services available to you and how behalf of dealers. Please see further Surely now, better things are ahead of
changes in regulations can affect you. insights in the magazine. us after the amazing vaccine roll out and
The next round of NFDA Regional this awful virus in retreat, enough for us
Dealer Forums will take place later Despite the decline in the new car to move towards normal life again and
this month, please email lena.patel@ market, sales of electric vehicles fully resuming what franchised dealers do
rmif.co.uk to register to attend. continue to grow. NFDA’s Electric best – selling cars, vans, finance, parts
Vehicle Approved (EVA) has and service hours and looking after our
Our working groups covering key recently seen the first dealers of 2021 customers.
areas such as EVs, Finance, HR, pass their audit and receive their
IT, aftersales, used cars as well as accreditation. If you would like to learn NFDA have worked tirelessly to bring
policies and regulations continue to more about EVA, apply to receive many franchised dealers together.
meet on a regular basis to discuss the EVA’s badge of approval or understand Through us, senior industry leaders from
most topical issues in the respective how to promote yours, please email the top 20 groups, regional and individual
areas and set the strategy for the eva@rmif.co.uk. dealers have been able to communicate
Dear Colleague, and cooperate to overcome the massive
coming months. If you would like more
Following the recent slowdown in challenges that have faced and continue
Following the huge challenges information, please contact us.
recruitment activities, a number of to face our sector, for over twelve months
faced by our sector over the past dealer groups are now hiring again and
As dealers’ online presence and now. A huge and heartfelt thank you for
months, we can finally look forward with more people coming off furlough,
digital strategies become increasingly your contributions and expertise and
to welcoming customers back into Drive My Career has run a number
important, NFDA has recently launched freely given time to help us to assist the
showrooms. Dealers have proved their of successful campaigns. in particular,
‘Engage’ a new programme aimed franchised sector with the implications of
resilience and although online sales February’s ‘Apprentice Takeover’ and
at supporting dealers’ communication the pandemic.
have provided a new strategic lifeline March’s International Women’s Day
activities. Our members can benefit
for businesses, consumers still want to campaigns allowed us to work with our We have been in constant and often
from a free-of-charge performance
visit dealerships. dealer members to showcase success urgent dialogue with many Government
report of their website as well as
Government guidelines have been support with social media and press stories from across the industry departments on behalf of our members
very fluid; we actively liaise on your releases. Please find further details in and highlight the variety of career – lobbying, consulting, advising and
behalf with relevant departments and The Voice and email nfdaengage@rmif. opportunities available in automotive. getting clarification on relevant guidelines,
continue to monitor the changes in co.uk for more information. providing dealers with timely and
NFDA is the voice of automotive accurate guidance concerning all issues
regulations daily to provide you with retailers: if you require any assistance
Monitoring the health of the business affecting our industry.
guidance and clarifications covering or would like to discuss any of the
relationship between dealers and
all the areas that may affect you. If issues featured in The Voice, please As we get ready to reopen our
manufacturers is crucial and, positively,
you have any questions or you think do not hesitate to contact our member showrooms and welcome customers
the latest edition of our NFDA Dealer
you may have missed any of the helpline on 01788 538 303 or email back, we will continue to work closely
documents recently shared please Attitude Survey received a very high
response rate of nearly 60%. Average nfda@rmif.co.uk with dealers and I thank all of you
contact us. on behalf of us at the NFDA for your
dealer satisfaction levels with the
Our members’ feedback is vital to business relationship with respective continued and valued support”.
NFDA KICKS OFF 2021 WITH VIRTUAL DEALER FORUMS
In February, NFDA hosted five well-attended and engaging regional dealer forums that provided dealers with an ideal opportunity
to get an update from their trade association on the most topical issues facing the automotive industry and hear about the latest
benefits they can access via their membership. In turn, the meetings helped NFDA get extremely useful feedback from dealers.
New and Used Market new FCA commission rules that came as futureproofing of grid supply for those working in automotive.
The forums started with a discussion on into force on 28 January 2021 and motorway rapid charging, extension on NFDA benefits: Engage,
the new and used car market, thanks to the Senior Managers & Certification home workplace and on-street charge- Drive My Career and EVA
the data and analysis by guest speakers Regime (SM&CR), which, following the point grants, funding local EV recharging
introduction on 9 December 2019, with The NFDA team updated dealers
from Autotrader. Despite the lockdown, project, zero-emission freight trials as
a one-year implementation period, was on the additional services currently
Auto Trader highlighted that the market well as the extension to the plug-in grant
extended to 31 March 2021. available to members including NFDA
looked ‘healthy’ and the latest lockdown were also discussed.
Engage, a new programme which
was not affecting business as much as EVs Mental Health & Well-being supports dealers’ communications,
the previous ones.
Paddy O’Connell, NFDA Head Matt Wigginton, Fundraising Director Drive My Career, the ongoing
Policy and Procedures of Operations, covered the PM’s of Ben, the automotive industry charity, campaign that reaches out to young
Louise Wallis, NFDA Head of Business announcement on the 2030 end date for gave a presentation on mental health people to encourage them into the
Management, updated dealers on the sale of internal combustion engine issues in the workplace. Matt explained automotive industry, and the Electric
COVID-19 related restrictions and their cars and vans as well as the five-year how the pandemic has put a significant Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation
implications for dealers including click extension for hybrids which have a strain on people’s mental health and scheme (for more information email:
& collect services, test drives and the “significant” zero emission range. reminded dealers of the charity’s online nfdaengage@rmif.co.uk,
furlough scheme. The Government’s National resources, its free, confidential helpline, info@drivemycareer.co.uk or
Dealers were also reminded about the Infrastructure Strategy and issues such and Ben’s tailored client support for eva@rmif.co.uk).
NEXT REGIONAL DEALER FORUMS:
For more information and
NORTH WEST SOUTH MIDLANDS
to attend your next NFDA
22 April (11am – 12pm) 27 April (11am – 12pm) 28 April (11am – 12pm)
Regional Forum, please email
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST lena.patel@rmif.co.uk.
22 April (2pm – 3pm) 27 April (2pm – 3pm)
2
Fast-track mental
health support for
automotive people
Ben, the automotive industry charity, is
providing immediate access to digital
mental health and wellbeing support for
automotive people who need it. Ben’s digital
platform, SilverCloud, supports people to
better manage their mental health and
wellbeing and it’s free, confidential and
available all day, every day.
Automotive people can now access SilverCloud Here is some recent feedback about SilverCloud from
themselves directly, without first needing to call Ben’s those who have benefitted from the support available:
Helpline. Over 400 automotive people have signed up
“I feel like I’m back in control. I have a better
to access support through SilverCloud since 18 January,
understanding of my thoughts and emotions. I feel like I’m
which shows just how important mental health and
able to make better decisions. If I ever have a challenging
wellbeing support is right now.
situation in the future, I will make use of the great tools
A number of different programmes are available on on SilverCloud again.”
SilverCloud, including on topics such as stress, anxiety and
“All the techniques and ideas I’ve learned have been really
depression, as well as for issues including money worries,
useful. The thought record sheet, SilverCloud, meditation
sleep and resilience. Each programme features a range of
practices have helped me manage my anxiety and change
interactive tools such as videos, activities, quizzes, audio
the way I react. They have been helping me to think more
guides, as well as a personal online support journal.
rationally and keep calm.”
The SilverCloud programmes use an evidence based,
“The SilverCloud programme has encouraged me to make
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach, focusing
changes. Now if I wake in the middle of the night, I don’t
on the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and
let thoughts run away with me. I use the new techniques I
behaviours; supporting individuals to develop positive
have learnt to help me stop my thoughts racing.”
coping strategies.
Sign up to SilverCloud
ben.org.uk/SilverCloud
Signing up for support
SilverCloud is completely free for anyone who works, or has worked, in the
automotive industry. To sign up, visit: ben.silvercloudhealth.com/signup
To find out more about how Ben can support the mental health and wellbeing
of your employees, contact Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben:
Rachel.Clift@ben.org.uk.
3
Powered by
DEALERS AND DRIVE MY CAREER
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN’S DAY TO HIGHLIGHT
OPPORTUNITIES IN AUTOMOTIVE
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day that took place on 8 March 2021, Drive My Career shared
success stories and testimonials of women working in the automotive industry across different business areas.
International Women’s Day (IWD)
celebrates the social, economic, cultural
and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for
accelerating gender parity. The theme of
this year’s IWD was “choose to challenge”
as the International Women’s Day website
reads “we can all choose to challenge and
call out gender bias and inequality”.
During the day, Drive My Career published
and shared videos, images and articles
on its website and social media channels
to recognise and celebrate the success of
women working in automotive. Franchised
dealer groups who joined the campaign
included Arnold Clark, Caffyns, JCT600,
Lookers, Marshall Motor Group, TrustFord,
and Sytner.
Showcasing the variety of roles available In addition to the testimonials, a video from and the female apprentice events”.
in automotive retail, the case studies Arnold Clark mentioned some of the perks
ranged from apprentice technicians and of working with the dealer group including Izzy Windsor, First Year Apprentice
parts advisors to aftersales professionals, flexible working arrangements, female Technician at Lookers Vauxhall Chester,
as well as colleagues working in HR and career coaches, enhanced maternity benefit, said she would “definitely” encourage other
Health & Safety. Business Women Roadshows, Diversity and women to join the automotive sector, “there
Inclusion Training and concluded “We always are lots of opportunities and you gain so
want the best person for the job”. many different skills through this industry; we
work as a team and we can all support each
Aimen Khalid, Parts Advisor at JCT600 other, it is absolutely brilliant”.
Bentley Leeds, who has recently qualified
from her apprenticeship, described her Michelle Hazeldean, TrustFord Aftersales
journey with the company and sent a Training and Induction Manager: “Working
message to women considering working in the automotive industry is fast-paced,
in automotive: “Go for it, even if you have demanding and fun, no two days are ever the
got no experience around vehicles or cars same. No matter what department you are in,
because you get taught everything and there is a large amount of job satisfaction in
you learn a lot from our training courses the automotive industry.
4
“What I would say to women working in the of emerging technology and we have a huge
automotive industry is ‘go for it’! If you want focus on people and community.
to be part of a great team that make sure
customers are happy and get job satisfaction “The automotive industry is for anyone,
from that, then, should it really matter what regardless of your gender. I would definitely
recommend working in this industry”.
gender you are?”.
One of the key objectives of Drive My Career
Tracey Jeffries, Health & Safety Officer at
is to highlight the variety of rewarding and
Caffyns PLC, encouraged young people to
exciting career opportunities in the retail motor
consider a career in automotive: “The industry
sector available to everybody, and we were
is so diverse that there are opportunities for
delighted to celebrate the achievements of
all. There are some fantastic opportunities
women working in the automotive industry.
to build good life experiences, a good career,
and earn a good wage. Young people are our Drive My Career is the employment initiative
future with a thirst for life they bring a valuable developed by NFDA to help dealers attract and
resource to the industry”. retain candidates by raising awareness and
improving the perception of the automotive
Penny Wallace, Recruitment Specialist at
industry.
Sytner, said, “We work in an industry that is
so fast-paced and that is where I thrive. There For more information, visit Drive My Career’s
is variety in my role and I finish work each website at www.drivemycareer.co.uk and
day feeling a sense of accomplishment. The search ‘Drive My Career’ for its social media
industry itself is an exciting one. We are not channels on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook,
just about car sales, we are at the forefront Instagram and YouTube
DRIVE MY CAREER REACHES OVER
600,000 PEOPLE DURING
APPRENTICESHIP WEEK Harry Pudney,
Apprentice
Technician at
During the National Apprenticeship Mercedes-Benz commercials, SEAT and Marshall SEAT
Week 2021 which took place SKODA. Braintree
between 8 and 14 February, Drive
My Career members joined the third Also a number of videos featuring current
‘Apprentice Takeover’ campaign and former apprentices working for Sytner
contributed to significantly raising the profile
to raise awareness of the multiple
of the campaign and apprenticeships in
opportunities available in the retail
general.
automotive industry Through targeted campaigns, Drive My
Social media posts with the hashtag Career is currently supporting its members
As part of the #DMCApprenticeTakeover who are actively recruiting, while it continues
#DMCApprenticeTakeover were shared
campaign, Drive My Career members to also promote via the website success
across a range of platforms including
promoted across their social media stories, career guidance and additional tips
channels inspiring apprentices’ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The hashtag achieved over for jobseekers.
case studies through stories,
images and videos. 180 mentions and more than Sue Robinson, NFDA Chief Executive
500 interactions, reaching over commented, “Following such a difficult year,
Franchised dealers supported 650,000 people. it was extremely positive to see franchised
the initiative, and, in particular, dealers endorsing their workforce and
Marshall Motor Group, In addition to this, Drive My
investing into the future generation.
who took part for the third Career representatives shared
Bethany Barton, HR &
consecutive year, shared 31 some of their own content “Reading the inspiring stories of apprentices
Recruitment Apprentice
pictures, videos and stories at Sytner throughout the week, showcasing and seeing their excitement to be part of our
from apprentices, their mentors, how employees have benefitted industry has been encouraging. Drive My
Aftersales Managers as well from an apprenticeship scheme Career will continue to raise awareness of
as the group’s CEO, Daksh with the experience and life skills the rewarding career opportunities available
Gupta. The divisions that participated in the that have come from this. During the week, in the automotive sector.
#DMCApprenticeTakeover were Marshall Drive My Career provided also CV and job
interview tips for anyone in the audience to “A huge thank you to our members for their
Audi, Volkswagen, Jaguar Land Rover,
continued, outstanding support”.
Volvo, BMW, MINI, Mercedes-Benz cars, help on their career journeys.
Drive My Career is the employment platform launched by the National Franchised Dealers Association
(NFDA) in February 2018 to make the motor retail sector more attractive to young jobseekers and
connect potential candidates with their local retailers.
5
Dealer Attitude survey
Winter 2020/2021
NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey reveals improving satisfaction levels
The results of the latest NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS),
published on 15 March 2021, revealed increasing satisfaction levels among dealers.
NFDA conducts the survey twice a year, the “DAS” has taken place continuously since 1989. With a total of 2,585 responses from
32 participating dealer networks, the latest edition of the survey received an extremely high response rate of 59.5%.
Sue Robinson, NFDA Chief Executive, commented: “The NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey is vitally important to gauge the health of the business
relationship between dealers and manufacturers and highlight any potential issues; with the challenges facing our sector over the past months, it is
extremely encouraging that nearly 60% of UK dealers completed the survey”.
This edition of the survey was conducted in January 2021 and asked franchised dealers a series of questions covering key business issues affecting
the relationship with their respective manufacturers. Responses are scored from 1 (extremely dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied).
LEXUS 9.4 (9.6)
KIA 9.3 (8.9)
TOYOTA 8.8 (9.5)
MERCEDES 8.7 (6.9)
MINI 8.2 (7.7)
AUDI 8.2 (6.6)
VOLVO 7.8 (7.6)
SUZUKI 7.6 (6.9) Manufacturer support during
SKODA 7.2 (6.3)
HONDA 7.2 (7.0)
COVID-19
VOLKSWAGEN 7.1 (4.9)
SEAT 7.1 (6.9) Average levels of dealer satisfaction
MAZDA 7.0 (7.5) with the support received through
NISSAN 6.9 (7.5)
FORD 6.7 (5.9) the pandemic by respective
RENAULT 5.9 (6.1) manufacturers remained relatively
PEUGEOT 5.9 (6.1)
MITSUBISHI 5.9 (6.6)
high at 6.4 points out of 10. Lexus
DS 5.8 (9.4), Kia (9.3) and Toyota (8.8)
CITROEN 5.7 (6.2)
received the highest ratings in this
LAND ROVER 5.6 (5.9)
JAGUAR 5.5 (4.9) section. Thanks to an increase of
MG 4.8 (6.9) 2.2 points from the summer edition
BMW 4.8 (6.8)
DACIA 4.6 (5.8) of the survey, Volkswagen saw the
SUBARU 4.3 (5.9) largest improvement.
VAUXHALL 4.2 (4.0)
JEEP 3.3 (4.1) Average 6.4
HYUNDAI 3.0 (2.7)
ALFA ROMEO 2.6 (5.0)
FIAT 2.2 (3.9)
ABARTH 2.1 (5.0)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LEXUS 9.5 (9.5)
KIA 9.2 (9.4)
TOYOTA 9.1 (9.0)
How would you rate your MERCEDES 9.1 (8.0)
manufacturer overall on a MINI 8.1 (7.9)
SUZUKI 7.5 (7.1)
scale of 1 to 10? AUDI 7.3 (7.1)
MAZDA 7.0 (6.9)
Lexus (9.5), Kia (9.2), Toyota HONDA 7.0 (7.8)
and Mercedes (both at 9.1) CITROEN 6.9 (6.2)
VOLVO 6.8 (6.0)
topped the all-important SKODA 6.8 (5.7)
question ‘how would you rate VOLKSWAGEN 6.7 (5.0)
SEAT 6.7 (6.9)
your manufacturer overall LAND ROVER 6.6 (5.5)
on a scale of 1 to 10’. Jeep, PEUGEOT 6.4 (7.2)
Hyundai, Fiat (all at 2.8) and NISSAN 6.3 (6.0)
MG 6.0 (7.5)
Alfa Romeo (1.8) had the lowest BMW 5.9 (6.3)
scores. The average score for FORD 5.7 (6.2)
DACIA 5.7 (4.4)
this question grew by 0.3 points RENAULT 5.3 (4.6)
from six months ago to 6.3. JAGUAR 5.1 (3.7)
VAUXHALL 4.2 (3.8)
SUBARU 4.2 (4.6)
MITSUBISHI 4.2 (5.7)
DS 4.2
ABARTH 3.1 (4.1) Average 6.3
JEEP 2.8 (3.3)
HYUNDAI 2.8 (2.5)
FIAT 2.8 (3.6)
ALFA ROMEO 1.8 (4.2)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6
LEXUS 9.1 (9.0)
KIA 8.7 (8.9)
MERCEDES 8.5 (7.5)
Overall average score
TOYOTA 8.4 (8.4)
MINI 8.0 (7.4) At 9.1 points, Lexus had the highest
SUZUKI 7.0 (6.7) average score across all questions
NISSAN 6.8 (6.7)
MAZDA 6.8 (6.8) for the fourth consecutive edition of
AUDI 6.8 (5.6) the survey. Kia followed in second
HONDA 6.7 (7.2)
VOLVO 6.6 (5.8)
place (8.7) and Mercedes (8.5)
VOLKSWAGEN 6.6 (5.4) closed the top three thanks to a
SEAT 6.5 (6.4)
6.4 (6.9)
1.0-point jump from six months
PEUGEOT
SKODA 6.3 (5.4) ago. Jeep (3.0), Fiat (2.9) and Alfa
LAND ROVER 6.2 (5.5) Romeo (2.6) sat at the bottom of
BMW 6.1 (6.5)
CITROEN 6.0 (5.7) the table. The average score for this
FORD 5.7 (5.4) question (6.0) was up by 0.1 points
MG 5.6 (6.6)
JAGUAR 5.6 (4.5)
from six months ago.
DS 5.5
RENAULT 5.4 (5.0) “It is positive that despite the
SUBARU 5.1 (5.5) significant disruption faced
MITSUBISHI 5.0 (6.2)
DACIA 5.0 (4.7)
by our industry over the past
VAUXHALL 4.9 (4.7) twelve months, dealers are, on
HYUNDAI 4.6 (3.7) Average 6.0
ABARTH
average, fairly satisfied with the
3.1 (4.4)
JEEP 3.0 (3.6) relationship with their respective
FIAT 2.9 (3.8) manufacturers”, said Sue Robinson.
ALFA ROMEO 2.6 (4.5)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
TOYOTA 9.0 (8.3)
LEXUS 8.8 (9.0)
KIA 8.4 (8.6)
MINI 7.8 (6.5)
Profit ret urn, return on capital MERCEDES
7.0
7.5
(5.3)
(5.4)
VOLVO
and new car targeting NISSAN 7.0 (5.9)
HONDA 7.0 (5.9)
Despite relatively low scores AUDI 6.7 (3.7)
BMW 6.6 (4.5)
for important aspects such as VOLKSWAGEN 6.5 (4.3)
profit return, required levels of SUZUKI 6.0 (6.1)
investment and return on capital, PEUGEOT 5.9 (6.4)
LAND ROVER 5.9 (4.7)
dealers showed higher levels of SEAT 5.6 (6.7)
satisfaction than six months ago. MG 5.6 (6.6)
MAZDA 5.5 (5.8)
However, a number of dealer SKODA 5.4 (4.2)
networks were dissatisfied with MITSUBISHI 5.1 (4.6)
RENAULT
their manufacturers’ volume target DACIA
4.9 (4.3)
4.9 (4.3)
aspirations and with the overall FORD 4.5 (4.0)
new car targeting process. VAUXHALL 4.0 (3.4)
CITROEN 4.0 (4.5)
HYUNDAI 3.6 (2.7)
How satisfied are you with JAGUAR 3.5 (2.1)
the current profit return from SUBARU 3.3 (3.5)
Average 6.0
representing your business? ABARTH 3.1 (4.2)
JEEP 3.0 (2.9)
FIAT 2.9 (3.4)
DS 2.6
ALFA ROMEO 1.6 (3.6)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LEXUS 8.9 (8.5)
TOYOTA 8.7 (8.1)
KIA 8.6 (8.7)
MERCEDES 7.8 (5.9) “Positively, the majority of dealers
MINI 7.7 (5.9) are satisfied with their ability
HONDA 7.2 (6.5)
SUZUKI 6.7 (6.5) to do business with respective
NISSAN 6.5 (5.5) manufacturers on a day-to-day
VOLVO 6.3 (4.3)
AUDI 6.2 (3.6)
basis. As we come out of the
MG 5.9 (6.7) pandemic and the economic
VOLKSWAGEN 5.7 (3.8)
environment improves, it is crucial
SEAT 5.7 (6.4)
PEUGEOT 5.7 (6.2) that manufacturers have realistic
SKODA 5.4 (4.3) expectations of their networks
MAZDA 5.4 (5.9)
DACIA 5.3 (4.6)
and continue to work closely
BMW 5.3 (4.6) How satisfied are you with dealers”, Sue Robinson
LAND ROVER 5.0 (3.1)
RENAULT 4.9 (4.2)
with your new car concluded.
MITSUBISHI 4.9 (4.6) targeting process?
VAUXHALL 4.5 (3.5) For more information about the
CITROEN 4.4 (4.4) NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey,
FORD 4.3 (3.2)
ABARTH 4.2 (4.2)
please visit www.nfda-uk.co.uk/
SUBARU 3.9 (3.8) reports/dealer-attitude-survey or
HYUNDAI
FIAT
3.7 (3.1)
Average 5.6
email nfda@rmif.co.uk
3.4 (3.7)
JAGUAR 3.0 (2.3)
DS 2.9
JEEP 2.4 (2.7)
ALFA ROMEO 1.9 (3.5)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7
ELECTRIC VEHICLE APPROVED
SCHEME CELEBRATES FIRST
ACCREDITED DEALERS OF 2021
NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved
(EVA) accreditation scheme has
celebrated the first accredited
retailers of 2021.
Electric Vehicle Approved
Following the reopening of the successful, with over one-
scheme in October 2020, the hundred dealers obtaining their
first retailers who applied to be accredited status. As a result,
part of the second year of EVA, the Government has renewed its
passed their audit and received co-sponsorship of the scheme.
their accreditation in February. EVA encourages dealerships
The first dealerships of 2021 to to further develop their ability
receive their EVA accreditation in selling and servicing electric
were: Vertu Skipton Volkswagen, vehicles. It recognises dealers’
Bristol Street Motors Nottingham expertise in the electric vehicle
Renault and Dacia, Waylands sector and promotes industry
Oxford Volvo, and Vertu standards for the benefit of the
Harrogate Volkswagen. consumer.
Sue Robinson, Chief Executive Energy Saving Trust
of the National Franchised independently audits individual
Dealers Association (NFDA), dealerships to verify that
commented: “It is extremely they meet a set of standards
positive to see the NFDA’s covering EV sales and aftersales.
Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) These include the customer
scheme continue to develop qualification process, staff
paying testament to the efforts knowledge and training, EV
and investments automotive demonstration and handover
retailers are making to meet the processes as well as availability Allan McGovern, Vertu Volkswagen Skipton on-site
fast-growing demand for electric of EV service bays and charge EV ambassador (pictured), said: “This accreditation
vehicles: congratulations to the points on site. is something Vertu Motors plc is passionate about.
first accredited dealers of 2021”. The demand for electric vehicles is growing, and the
The EVA badge of approval
The EVA scheme has been helps retailers communicate their technology is different from a petrol or diesel car
developed by NFDA and initially knowledge and expertise and and customers are often uncertain as to what is the
launched in May 2019 to supports consumer confidence. best option for them. This scheme makes sure that
recognise retailers’ excellence in dealerships are prepared for the EV era and equipped
the electric vehicle sector. EVA is with the right knowledge to assist customers.
endorsed by the Government’s We are EVA Approved “Customers can be re-assured that at Vertu Volkswagen
Office for Zero Emission Vehicles Skipton they will receive the very best advice and
(OZEV) and Energy Saving Trust. support when buying an electric vehicle.”
Office for
Zero Emission
EVA’s first year was extremely Electric Vehicle Approved Vehicles
8
Richard Hawley, on-site EV ambassador at Vertu Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors PLC
Volkswagen Harrogate (pictured) said: “Electric vehicles (pictured), commented: “This initiative by the NFDA puts
are the future, and the market is going to continue growing. the road to zero carbon right at the forefront of the sector.
Having experts on site to guide customers who are This accreditation is an important stepping stone to ensure
potentially buying their first electric vehicle is essential and that the dealerships have the right focus and experience
this scheme makes sure that dealerships are prepared on electric vehicles. The sooner every dealership in the UK
for the EV era and equipped with the knowledge to assist has the chance to be accredited the better. I would put the
customers and provide the best advice and support.” whole Group through it now”.
John O’Hanlon, Chief Executive of Waylands, added: “I am delighted that Waylands Oxford has
become our first retailer to meet NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved Accreditation. Approval is only
given after a comprehensive audit undertaken of staff, training and dealership facilities and we are
confident that thanks to the EVA badge our customers will immediately understand that we are at the
forefront of electric vehicle retail”.
Additional dealerships received their EVA accreditation in February:
Ashford Orbital
Lookers Tyneside Audi
Lookers Teesside Audi
Roger Young Jaguar Land Rover
Office for
Minerest Loughborough Kia
Zero Emission
Vospers Torquay Peugeot
Vehicles
Trident Honda
Wearside Audi
Dealers who have already received their EVA NFDA thanks the Office for Zero Emission
accreditation can contact the EVA team at Vehicles and Energy Saving Trust for their
eva@rmif.co.uk to find out how to promote continued support. We look forward to
their EVA status to consumers. The team will continuing to work with our partners to ensure
be able to share the available versions of the that an increasing number of retailers and
EVA logos, branding guidelines as well as social consumers alike will benefit from EVA during the
media assets. transition to a zero-emission market.
Office for
Zero Emission
Electric Vehicle Approved Vehicles
9
RMI Employment Law
BULLETIN
Please note: In this bulletin we aim to keep you
up-to-date on some of the latest developments
in employment law and although the bulletin is
not intended to provide a comprehensive
Sp ri n g 2021
summary of all the changes to
the law, we hope to
highlight some key
areas of change for
motor industry
employers.
Case Law Update weaker party will be a Worker. There is no hard and The Supreme Court of Slovenia decided to refer a
fast checklist and every case will be fact-sensitive, number of questions to the ECJ for a preliminary
• Uber ruling and the gig economy
but practical considerations may be: ruling.
• Working time
• Does the individual control the hours they work, or Decision
The Supreme Court rules in favour of the are they set by the business?
Uber drivers: are there implications for the The ECJ ruled that periods of stand-by time where a
• Can they send a substitute to work, or are they
motor industry? worker is not carrying out any actual work and is not
required to attend in person?
required to remain at the workplace, may in certain
In what can be seen as yet further disruption to the • Can they negotiate the terms of the contract, or circumstances amount to ‘working time.’ The
‘gig economy,’ the Supreme Court has decided are they supplied with set terms? circumstances are when the constraints imposed
that the claimants in the Uber case (Uber & Ors v
It will also need to be remembered that even though upon the worker during those periods objectively
Aslam & Ors [2021 UKSC]) are ‘workers,’ not self-
both sides may agree that the individual will work and very significantly affect the worker’s ability to
employed contractors. The ruling has far-reaching manage their free time and devote it to their own
implications for businesses across the country and as a self-employed person, the Supreme Court in
Uber once again confirmed that employment status interests.
underscores the importance of correctly establishing
a person’s employment status. is determined by the reality of the relationship, not In making this assessment, the organisational
what it may purport to be. difficulties that a worker may experience during
Employee, a self-employed contractor, or a stand-by time which are a result of the free choice of
worker? In Conclusion
the worker or natural factors, are not in themselves
Under UK law, a person can generally be classed The ruling will be significant for Uber as it opens the relevant. Such an organisational difficulty would be
as an employee, a self-employed contractor, or a way for potentially thousands of national minimum the fact that there are limited opportunities to pursue
worker. Employees have the most employment wage and unpaid holiday claims. It also has wider leisure activities in the vicinity of the workplace; or,
rights, while self-employed contractors (or implications for those working right across the UK’s that there is a substantial distance between the
‘freelancers’) have very little. Workers are a type of gig economy and further claims from other industries worker’s place of work and his freely chosen place
middle way category who enjoy some employment are to be expected. of residence.
rights. These include the right to receive the national When Does Stand-By Time Qualify As It is only the constraints imposed upon the worker
minimum wage, paid holiday, statutory rest breaks, Working Time? either by the law of their state, by the employer or
protection from discrimination under the Equality Act by a collective agreement, which may be taken
In the recent judgment of DJ v Radiotelevizija
2010 and protection for whistle-blowers under the into consideration. In this case, the employer’s
Slovenija, the Court of Justice of the European
Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. requirements that the worker had to be contactable
Union (ECJ) has decided that periods of stand-
Uber argued that it was simply acting as a booking by time will only constitute ‘working time’ in their while on standby-by and had to return to the
agent for the drivers who in turn were working entirety when, during those periods, the constraints workplace within one hour, when required, could
for themselves. The Supreme Court affirmed the imposed upon workers very significantly affect their therefore amount to such constraints. It will now be
decision of the lower courts that this position ability to manage their free time. for the Supreme Court of Slovenia to decide whether
was not consistent with the reality of the working any such constraint operated ‘objectively and very
Background significantly’ so as to affect the claimant’s ability to
relationship. The fact that Uber calculated the fare
and did not permit drivers to charge more; that Uber The claimant worked as a technician at a manage his free time.
could penalise drivers if they rejected too many trip transmission station situated at the top of a Conclusion
requests; and that Uber restricted communication mountain. He worked a shift pattern with each shift
between driver and passenger – were among being 12 hours long. He then had 6 hours where This decision serves to preserve previous caselaw
the factors which betrayed less of a business he was on stand-by. During the stand-by period the of the ECJ; and, as a reminder to employers in EU
relationship than one of subordination. claimant could leave the workplace, however, he member states whose workers are on stand-by
had to be contactable and return to the transmission or ‘on-call,’ but who do not necessarily need to
Implications for the hand car wash industry? remain at the workplace during that period – those
station within one hour when required.
This has significant implications for any business periods may nevertheless amount to ‘working time’
The nature of the work and the distance between which will require to be remunerated accordingly,
that utilises significant numbers of self-employed
his home and place of work meant, in reality, that depending on the level and nature of the restrictions
contractors or freelancers. With between 10,000 –
the claimant had to stay in the vicinity all day, with that the worker is subjected to.
20,000 hand car washes in the UK, proprietors who
little opportunity for leisure activities. His employer
engage those to do the work as freelancers may This ruling may potentially be considered and/or
provided accommodation at the station due to its
need to review the working relationship to ensure relied upon in UK courts and tribunals following
remote setting, which the claimant was entitled to
that it is truly one of self-employment. Where self- Brexit as, although EU law no longer binds the
use.
employed contractors or freelancers are deemed UK, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
in fact to be workers then this will have significant The claimant brought a claim in which he argued makes provision for UK courts and tribunals to have
financial implications with regards to National that the periods when he was on stand-by were so regard to caselaw of the ECJ to the extent that it
Minimum Wages as well as paid holiday entitlement. restrictive that they were tantamount to overtime, may be relevant. In this regard, it may be noted
irrespective of whether he was specifically called on that the Working Time Regulations, which is the
How can I tell?
to work during a stand-by period. He claimed that applicable law in the UK, was originally put in place
As confirmed in the Uber case, the more control these periods should thus be considered ‘working to implement the EU’s Working Time Directive, and it
one party has over the other the more likely that the time’ and remunerated accordingly. is that Directive on which this case is based.
10Articles Irish nationals find yourself in the situation above, contact us at any
stage for advice and assistance as appropriate.
What steps am I required to take around Note that the position will be different for Irish
right to work in the UK checks for European nationals who are generally treated as free from FCA and Discretionary Commission Ban 28
nationals following Brexit for existing and immigration time restrictions from the date that they January 2021
new employees? enter the UK. Irish nationals can apply for status
Covid-19 has, naturally, been the focus of many
under the EU Settlement Scheme if they want to,
Employers must continue to carry out right to work businesses for some time. Unfortunately, the wheels
but there is no need for them to do so.
checks for all workers before employing them, as of the world of business do keep on turning. In July,
was the case prior to Brexit:- Covid-19: Can employees be required by the FCA introduced significant changes regarding
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right- their employer to get a vaccination? the use of Discretionary Commission Models within
to-work-checks-employers-guide With no firm end in sight to the coronavirus the motor industry. These changes are significant, so
pandemic, it continues to significantly impact what do businesses need to know?
Position on right to work checks during the
transition period up to 31 December 2020 employers and the workforce. Although the vaccine A Ban On Discretionary Commission Models
is not yet available to be purchased privately,
European Economic Area (“EEA”) nationals and employers may want employees to take the vaccine The FCA and consumer groups have for some
their family members who continue to have a right as soon as they become eligible, under the voluntary time held reservations regarding the use of variable
of residence in the UK under EU law throughout NHS programme. A high vaccination rate would interest rates generally. In their business plan for the
the transition period do not fall within the definition minimise the number of employees having to self- 2017/2018 year, the FCA therefore announced a
of those who are required to have leave to enter isolate and minimise the risk of employees becoming review of the sector, publishing its report and final
or remain. This means that they do not require infected by workplace transmission. findings in March 2019. Following a consultation,
permission to work in the UK and an employer the FCA concluded that discretionary commission
cannot be penalised for employing them, regardless Can I require a vaccination? models; where the broker can effectively set the
of whether or not right to work checks have been Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, interest rate, were widespread and carried an
carried out. However, as stated at the outset it is employers have a duty to ensure the health and incentive for brokers to act against customers’
important that an employer has correctly conducted safety of their employees so far as is reasonably interests. The FCA concluded that removing this
the right to work check and crucially, can evidence practicable. To this end, requiring employees to incentive would protect consumers and save
this as they will potentially benefit from the ‘statutory be vaccinated against the coronavirus may seem customers £165 million a year.
excuse’. This means that if they are later found to be like a reasonable request, particularly if it is difficult In July, the FCA announced that a ban on the use
employing an illegal worker, they may be excused to employ other safety measures such as social of discretionary commission models would be
from a civil penalty and so do not receive a fine distancing. However, the government has not made introduced from 28 January 2021 in order to give
which is currently set at up to £20,000 per illegal the vaccination compulsory, and there are a number
firms additional time to implement the new rules.
worker. of reasons why an employee may refuse a vaccine,
whether, for example, due to medical or religious In Conclusion
EEA and Swiss nationals who are in the UK before
reasons. This may put the employer in a difficult
the end of the transition period have until 30 June Hopefully, this is not new information, as we would
position, both legally and in terms of employee
2021 to apply for either settled or pre-settled status, have expected significant work to have already
relations.
which will give them the right to work in the UK. been undertaken in preparation for the deadline.
What if an employee refuses? Any members who operate any system where
Please see link below to the government EU
commission is variable will have to closely examine
settlement scheme employer toolkit:- An employee’s refusal to comply with a reasonable
their business model and ensure compliance with
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu- management instruction may be grounds for
the FCA ban. Members will have to ensure that
settlement-scheme-employer-toolkit disciplinary action including dismissal. An employer
will have to carefully consider the individual all staff are fully informed and trained on any new
Right to work checks during the 6 month ‘grace circumstances of the employee and whether the systems; a significant challenge with showrooms
period’ (1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021) refusal is justified. The nature of the workplace closed.
Employers can continue to use EEA and Swiss will also have to be appropriately risk-assessed The FCA have stated that they will be monitoring
passports and national identity cards as evidence of and considered by the employer: it may not closely how well firms comply with the ban, as well
an individual’s right to work in the UK until 30 June be reasonable to require an office worker to be as looking closely at any alternative commission
2021. vaccinated should remote working be possible; model introduced that could lead to the same
however, it may be reasonable to require vaccination harm. The FCA currently plan to carry out point of
Employers can also use the online checking service of a healthcare worker, whose patients are sale mystery shopper exercises to measure and
to confirm that a candidate has settled or pre-settled particularly vulnerable. monitor lenders’ control over the dealer network and
status and therefore has the right to work in the UK.
At the present time it would seem likely that to ensure compliance. This work is scheduled to
However, up to 30 June 2021, candidates do not
disciplinary action would be a risky option for the commence in September 2021, with a full review of
have to agree to share their status using the online
employer, but the risk will depend on the facts of the the intervention carried out in 2023/24.
checking service. They can provide their passport or
national identity card as an alternative. case and the disciplinary action taken. We would strongly advise that any new systems are
One particular aspect is the Equality Act 2010. monitored, and staff reviewed to ensure compliance
There will be no requirement for employers to carry
Employees should not receive any less favourable with new systems and processes.
out retrospective right to work checks for existing
EEA and Swiss national employees to confirm that treatment, or be put to a detriment arising from not Further Information
they have settled or pre-settled status. In other being vaccinated due to protected characteristics
such as age, religion, philosophical belief (e.g. Further information can be found at:
words, if an employer has conducted a compliant
right to work check for an EEA or Swiss national so-called ‘antivaxers’ could seek to argue that FCA Full Report (03/2018):
before 1 January 2021, it will not need to repeat this an objection to vaccination could be considered https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/research/our-
when the transition period ends. a ‘philosophical belief’), pregnancy etc… If, for work-on-motor-finance.pdf
example, a person had a medical condition that
EEA and Swiss nationals entering the UK from 1 could affect their decision to take the vaccine, any In Conclusion
January 2021 will not be able to apply for settled or less favourable treatment towards them could Don’t forget, any advice contained in the above is
pre-settled status. Because free movement between result in claims of discrimination on the grounds general in nature and will need to be tailored to any
the UK and the EEA ends on 31 December 2020, of disability. This, of course, is only one particular one particular situation. As an NFDA member you
they will require a visa to be able to work in the UK example, and there are other areas of vulnerability have access to the NFDA Legal advice line, as well
under the new immigration system. Therefore, to for the employer. It is therefore important that you as a number of industry experts for your assistance.
confirm the right to work of EEA and Swiss nationals take advice before proceeding. Should you find yourself in the situation above,
arriving in the UK on or after 1 January 2021, contact us at any stage for advice and assistance as
Conclusions
employers will need to see evidence of their visa appropriate.
alongside their passport or national identity card. For now, employers should act cautiously in the
mandating of a Covid-19 vaccination for the Motor Industry Legal Services
EEA and Swiss nationals are not required to share
workforce. In the majority of cases, they may have to Motor Industry Legal Services (MILS) provides fully
their settled or pre-settled status prior to 30 June
make the best of regular testing (not without its own comprehensive legal advice and representation to
2021. This may present an issue for employers with
difficulties), protective measures such as screening UK motor retailers for one annual fee. It is the only
new starters between 1 January and 30 June 2021,
and sanitising stations, temperature checks and law firm in the UK which specialises in motor law
as they may not know if the employee was already
effective compliance with face coverings and social
in the UK before 1 January 2021, and therefore and motor trade law. MILS currently advises over
distancing rules.
whether or not they require a visa. The Home Office 1,000 individual businesses within the sector as well
has yet to provide guidance in relation to checking This advice is general in nature and will need to be as the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and its
the right to work of employees in this category. tailored to any one particular situation. Should you members.
11I have to say the NFDA played a big part in that as we were able to talk to other
The Voice
dealer groups about how we were all coping, how to interpret the Government
guidelines and how to engage with the manufacturers. We were condensing
all this information into what it meant for us to then communicate it to all our
Interviews people.
The key for me was engagement and we got really good engagement earlier
James
on.
How about getting ready to reopen?
Brearley During the first lockdown, we spent
a month trying to work out how we
Q
would reopen. By the time we were set
CEO of Inchcape UK to reopen we had all PPE we needed,
Q
we immediately put the plastic screens
A
in place in our businesses, and we
were writing to the car manufacturers
to tell them how we were going to
22 March 2021 operate. We put a very comprehensive
reopening guide together and circulated it to
every single team member within a month of
shutting down and the fact that we had a plan
reassured a lot of colleagues.
How did your career in automotive begin and when did you
start with Inchcape?
Will more customers embrace online sales even after
dealerships fully reopen?
The first job I got was cleaning cars and serving petrol at a garage called
Jessups, a Ford dealer in the West Midlands. Through that I got interested in
I don’t think there is a radical change in customer behaviour, of course the
the car industry and I started selling cars, this was a great opportunity for me
pandemic has accelerated some trends, but people have been shopping online
because at the time Ford were, without question, the best trainers of people.
for cars for 15 years.
I gained more experience and then I started working for a business which,
More and more of the transaction is being carried out online, it isn’t a one-
interestingly enough, was acquired by Inchcape in 1985. I worked there until
year phenomenon. People aren’t going to go backwards, I just can’t see that
about 1991 when I joined a fairly young business called Pendragon PLC, which
at all. I think people will start to revisit showrooms because they’ll want the
was about a dozen sites when I arrived and, over the 24 years I was there,
reassurance that their purchase is the right purchase.
grew to more than 400. When I left, I set up my own business and then, after
having done some consultancy work for Inchcape overseas, I was invited to We, as a business, can transact completely remotely, and, by the time we get
pick up responsibility for the UK business about five years ago. to March from January 1, we will have transacted just under 20,000 car sales;
bearing in mind doors have not been open and we’ve carried out no test drives
since the start of the year.
How has Inchcape dealt with the lockdowns?
When I joined the business five years ago, we had a portfolio of franchises. What’s your view on the Government’s Road to Zero and the
The business was quite old fashioned, we weren’t particularly advanced from a 2030/2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicle sales?
digitalization point of view, we didn’t have a huge amount of remote capability.
So, we started our journey about four and a half years ago to rationalize our When you look at the timescale on the move to electric vehicles, I’m sceptical
representation, to streamline our processes and start acting like one business about our ability to deliver on that. When I say us, I mean the whole industry,
rather than a collection of businesses. We’ve done a huge amount of process not only the dealers but also the car manufacturers and infrastructure providers.
reengineering, taking processes away from what was old Excel spreadsheets I’m also sceptical about the willingness of people to want to transact because
on to a digital platform; also from a customer offering point of view we’ve gone of electric vehicles’ cost. In terms of price point, there is a sweet spot that gets
from four different trading names four and a half years ago to one, and we’ve the movement of people away from internal combustion engines to EVs and we
taken eleven websites down to one. are far from that today.
We were quite well advanced in our cost and representation reduction plan as The charging infrastructure can also be a barrier; the fact that more than
well as the digitalization of the business prior to COVID. This did mean when we 30% of the charging infrastructure is in Greater London and only 3.5% is in
entered the period of restrictions, we were far better able to operate remotely Wales makes widespread adoption very difficult. I can’t see the economics,
than we would have been two or three years earlier. who’s going to pay to put electric charging points into rural areas such as the
Welsh-English border? Unless the government dips his hand into his pocket far
Starting our cost reduction and representation reduction plan two years before,
more so than they are currently indicating they will, I’m just not sure about the
meant we were really lean coming into this really difficult period. As a result,
widespread adoption of EVs outside of major conurbations.
across the whole group of 4,000 plus people employed in the UK, we lost no
more than 200.
How important is the role of retailers during the transition to EVs?
How did you communicate with
your staff during the pandemic? The move to electrification has been driven by the car manufacturers. If you
look across our business and at the franchises we represent, we started
installing charging points so long ago that we are now upgrading them. The
Initially, just as everybody else, we were pretty shocked, but it became clear
tone and the pace will be set by the brand we represent.
pretty quickly that we were able to operate with our teams and keep them
engaged remotely quite well. We started to communicate on a weekly basis
with everybody, the communication team were excellent at getting every single As we come out of the pandemic, what is the biggest challenge
team member’s private email address, regardless of their role, which allowed us facing car retailers? And the biggest opportunity?
to communicate directly with all the people in the business.
I think the biggest challenge is acceptance of change and I also think the
From day one we started to issue a bulletin to keep our colleagues updated
biggest opportunity is our willingness to accept change.
and reassure them that the business wasn’t going to collapse; we are part of a
multinational company with good cash reserves. If you look at the world we are in today, there is a lot going on. We’ve got the
12transition to EVs now but before we’ve had this massive change from petrol to
diesel over a 10-year period and then swinging back to diesel in a year. We are
out of Europe, so we have a potential opportunity to change the contractual
relationships with car manufacturers through the revision of block exemption,
and we have certain manufacturers looking at introducing agency models,
which would be a huge change for franchise dealers.
All this disruption and change around us means that if you’re not light on your
feet, and you’re not able to embrace change and do things differently, then you
have a real problem.
Our strategy was very simple, we looked at the weight of businesses that we
The real winners are those who have their people invested heavily in their digital
have in the southeast of England, where the cost base for property, rates, and
architecture and who can generally deal remotely. Unless you take a bullish
people, is substantially higher than it is elsewhere. I can sell a car in Croydon
approach to the changes that we are going through and unless you have really
from Bolton and it’s a lot cheaper to transport the car down for the customer
engaged teams, who will do things differently and look at a problem and solve it
from Bolton than it is to have a dealership in Croydon. So, we started to reduce
with you, you’ve got a real challenge coming up.
our footprint in high-cost areas, knowing we could continue to sell in these big
I’m extremely proud of the fact that we paid back every penny of furlough conurbations remotely, which is exactly what’s happened.
money from 1 July onwards, and we paid back all the rates relief, yet, we
We reduced our cost base in multiple ways, but we were also able to effectively
haven’t lost money at all. In fact, bearing in mind we don’t have any dealerships
pay back our shareholder Inchcape PLC £220 million cash in the last two and a
in Scotland, we have only one in Wales, and we’ve sold a number of
half years, while the car retail business became more profitable than it was two
dealerships in the last two years, we still sold 5% of all the new cars that were
years ago. Our scale in terms of volume of sales has not been affected, yet the
registered in the UK in January.
A
cost basis is much lower.
With all the changes facing our industry, has Inchcape’s
What about the used car side of the business?
approach to recruitment also changed?
We have had a huge amount of success with used cars over the last couple
As a global organisation, we are an extremely diverse company, you cannot
of years. We have three standalone used car businesses that we started to
operate in 33 global markets without having an eye on diversity, whether that
develop in Burton on Trent, two and a half years ago. We had a very good
be gender, ethnicity or age. Today you can easily find a lot of the skills we
experience with high return on sales and fantastic return on capital employed
need in someone who’s just come out of university or joined our industry from
from the businesses we’ve opened so far, therefore the next stage of our
another sector.
development is to open a further five sites this year; we had to sell one to Vertu,
but we have already added three. Our intention through 2022 is to add a further
What are Inchcape’s next plans? 10, we believe a scale of circa 15 to 20 standalone used car businesses is the
right thing for us to invest in.
We have rationalized our
physical footprint and our What role has the NFDA played for you during the pandemic?
motivation behind that was
very simple. Four years ago,
I can do nothing but sing the praises of the NFDA; in the last 12 months, the NFDA
we believed the customers
has really demonstrated its value. You’ve got a really good structure and some
would engage more and
great people. David (*Newman) as Chairman understands the business as well as
more digitally, therefore, it’s a
anybody does, Sue does a fantastic job of lobbying and keeping a really good,
lot less important where they
constructive momentum to meetings, and, simply, NFDA made my life much,
live and where we operate. When people buy a car, about once every two years
much easier. My feedback couldn’t be anything other than an extremely positive.
or more, they are generally happy to travel for their car purchase.
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