“We saw a lot of first-time car buyers on the new vehicle side, since the lockdown restrictions were relaxed and trading conditions started to normalise.”
So says DP Spangenberg, the new Dealer Principal at Volkswagen NTT Worcester in the Western Cape.
“Despite all the obstacles brought about by COVID-19, we are thankful for the good year we had. The low interest rate and continued strong support from certain government institutions in our area contributed to our success.
“Although, in general, throughout the country new vehicle sales are battling to get back to pre-COVID levels, we also see the trend of buying down on the new vehicle side or looking for an alternative on the used car side,” DP says.
DP says the Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo are excellent sellers and constantly in demand. On the commercial side of the Volkswagen business, he says the Amarok had a strong showing and especially the last two months have seen a keen interest in the popular bakkie range.
With strict lockdown still in place in some countries, the supply chain is seriously interrupted, and stock of certain models is difficult to come by, according to him.
“Getting VW Tiguans is a challenge, but fortunately a new range is only a few months away and some prospective buyers are willing to hang on a bit and wait for the new model. There are also customers who settle for similar offerings like our T-Roc and even the T-Cross.
“Some customers opt for a good used vehicle although stock availability is a challenge owing to the lack of new vehicles sales that have an influence on what you can get on the used side,” DP says.
He tells Dealerfloor their predominant business area stretches over a 150 km radius around Worcester up to Swellendam, the Koue Bokkeveld and Ceres. There are also two Volkswagen dealers belonging to the NTT Motor Group in Stellenbosch and Paarl. The NTT Motor Group has more than 40 dealership representing different brands across the country. He says the Worcester dealership will be revamped in 2022 for a fresher look.
DP (Daniël Petrus) was recently appointed as the new Dealer Principal. He has been with the dealership since 2007 in different capacities and was born and bred in Groblersdal in Limpopo. He moved to Worcester at a young age where he was involved in the IT industry before joining the motor retail business. In his spare time DP enjoys mountain biking and motorsport.
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
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If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
