DFSK marks World LPG Autogas Day with focus on running costs
As fuel prices and operating expenses continue to challenge South African businesses, alternative energy solutions are receiving greater attention.
- New Energy Vehicles
- 15 October 2026
The trading in of potential retail stock can have a significant impact on the profitability of your dealership. A retail trade in is a vehicle that you would want on your used vehicle floor.
If it’s a potential retail trade-in, then you need to ensure that your trade-in price is competitive and that you look at the whole deal in terms of potential profitability versus the used vehicle and new vehicle department trying to maximise their individual GPs on the deal. Your sales person needs to negotiate the deal securing the trade-in versus just selling the car. Your sales person needs negotiation skills and not just sales skills.
The person who prices the trade-in needs to be highly skilled and knowledgeable about the market. The used car market is dynamic and the more skilled your used car pricing person, the more likely you are to get good stock. How skilled is your “pricing person”?
Find out why you missed out on retail trade-ins on which you were working? Where did it go and why? Discuss trade-in values offered with your pricing person to understand why a vehicle has been priced at a certain value and make sure that you are happy with the reasoning. Use this information to try and ensure your “process” improves and that you are more successful in securing retail trade-ins going forward.
Measure your trade-in and lost trade-in stats? Look at them by sales person, by model. What are your expectations and how successful are you compared to your expectations? Include retail trade-in’s as part of your sales person’s commission scheme. This will certainly assist in ensuring that the sales team is part of your trade-in strategy.
Dealerfloor (dealerfloor.co.za) and I will be publishing regular articles on dealership efficiency. I am really looking forward to sharing ideas with you. Join the conversation by sending a WhatsApp to 082-776-1887 to be added to our group.
- Donald Christy
As fuel prices and operating expenses continue to challenge South African businesses, alternative energy solutions are receiving greater attention.
Honda has expanded its local SUV line-up with the introduction of the CR-V RS e:HEV AWD. The newcomer brings hybrid power to the CR-V range while adding updated styling, additional technology and a revised cabin layout.
South African Auto Week 2026 opened in Durban on Tuesday, 13 October, with transformation and skills development among the key issues for the automotive industry, highlighted by an Absa Group investment of R13.5 million in the Automotive Business Council | naamsa’s Dreams Academy.
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