Local business sales.

Recently, I was looking through the latest automotive industry sales stats covering the year-to-date period up to the end of August. Although total industry volume is up year on year by a little over 5%, retail sales are down by over 11% against the same period last year.

So, it’s clear that fleet registrations are keeping the industry buoyant, representing 60% of the total market, a fact supported by this interesting article from the SMMT.

In a market like this, manufacturers and their Dealer networks should be making the best of this healthy fleet market and will need to maximise on their local fleet business opportunities.

However, Dealers need to be prepared as the sort of small fleet sales they would be dealing with require a different approach to their retail business.

Business sales will have distinct requirements compared to retail buyers.

Fleet customers, small and large, look to prioritise long-term value, reliability, and cost-effectiveness over personal preferences, often seeking tailored solutions such as bulk discounts, customised leasing options, and dedicated after-sales support.

Dealers need to focus on building ongoing relationships, offering specialised services like maintenance packages, and ensuring quick turnaround times to minimise business downtime. Unlike retail buyers, who may be influenced by brand loyalty or style, fleet buyers value efficiency, operational needs, and total cost of ownership.

All these challenges of course necessitate strategic planning and adaptability from both manufacturers and Dealers to remain competitive in this evolving fleet sales landscape but, with a market so reliant on fleet sales at the moment, it’s an opportunity that really cannot be ignored.

We Are Acuity have over 25 years’ experience in the automotive space, including fleet marketing solutions. And, within the team, there are many years of fleet experience both operational and marketing related. Want to know more? 

If you are interested in the opportunities presented by Local Business Sales, be it at retailer or at brand level, we’d love to talk. Why not schedule a FREE 30-minute assessment of your approach and plans here? It will be well worth your time.

Or alternatively read more about Local Marketing on our blog page "Local Thinking': https://www.weareacuity.com/local-thinking-our-blog