Dealers only make a little on car sales, I'm not having it!
Discussion
TVR1 said:
Mastiff said:
They are "Brand Awareness" Centres more than anything else. With regard to car sales most will make money, some of course more than others but in the main, these places are more about raising the image of the brand and the products that they make. If anyone here hasn't seen it, do look at Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, or West London Audi, or Land Rover Battersea. Unbelieveable places that cost an absolute fortune to build and operate but if owned by the manufacturers or larger groups, they are just advertising and accounted for as such.
To a degree. MB World does serve a dual purpose and i have not much knowledge of Battersea but WLA most definately isn't just a showcase. It's a fully fledged business that isn't carried by the manufacturer or the dealer group that owns it. If it couldn't make a profit it wouldn't be there. VW world opening across the road is the same. As is Kia next door. MB opposite is the same. CarlT said:
TVR1 said:
Mastiff said:
They are "Brand Awareness" Centres more than anything else. With regard to car sales most will make money, some of course more than others but in the main, these places are more about raising the image of the brand and the products that they make. If anyone here hasn't seen it, do look at Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, or West London Audi, or Land Rover Battersea. Unbelieveable places that cost an absolute fortune to build and operate but if owned by the manufacturers or larger groups, they are just advertising and accounted for as such.
To a degree. MB World does serve a dual purpose and i have not much knowledge of Battersea but WLA most definately isn't just a showcase. It's a fully fledged business that isn't carried by the manufacturer or the dealer group that owns it. If it couldn't make a profit it wouldn't be there. VW world opening across the road is the same. As is Kia next door. MB opposite is the same. The only analogy I can think of is Ryanair. Makes good 'headline' profits but drill it down and i'ts less than net €800 per flight. A very sensitive business that has a number of factors outside it's control.
,
Land Rover Battersea has just opened and is owned / operated by Lookers Group. They certainly wouldn't do it, if there was no profit in it. You wait till the Volkswagen site next door to it is rebuilt. It will be impressive.It's getting there. Still a couple of months 'til opening though- owned by Inchcape. Again, an example of it is only being built because there is financial return available.
The only analogy I can think of is Ryanair. Makes good 'headline' profits but drill it down and i'ts less than net €800 per flight. A very sensitive business that has a number of factors outside it's control.I'm on about the Lookers Volkswagen site in Battersea, not the Inchcape one.
TVR1 said:
CarlT said:
TVR1 said:
Mastiff said:
They are "Brand Awareness" Centres more than anything else. With regard to car sales most will make money, some of course more than others but in the main, these places are more about raising the image of the brand and the products that they make. If anyone here hasn't seen it, do look at Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, or West London Audi, or Land Rover Battersea. Unbelieveable places that cost an absolute fortune to build and operate but if owned by the manufacturers or larger groups, they are just advertising and accounted for as such.
To a degree. MB World does serve a dual purpose and i have not much knowledge of Battersea but WLA most definately isn't just a showcase. It's a fully fledged business that isn't carried by the manufacturer or the dealer group that owns it. If it couldn't make a profit it wouldn't be there. VW world opening across the road is the same. As is Kia next door. MB opposite is the same. The only analogy I can think of is Ryanair. Makes good 'headline' profits but drill it down and i'ts less than net €800 per flight. A very sensitive business that has a number of factors outside it's control.
CarlT said:
,
Land Rover Battersea has just opened and is owned / operated by Lookers Group. They certainly wouldn't do it, if there was no profit in it. You wait till the Volkswagen site next door to it is rebuilt. It will be impressive.It's getting there. Still a couple of months 'til opening though- owned by Inchcape. Again, an example of it is only being built because there is financial return available.
The only analogy I can think of is Ryanair. Makes good 'headline' profits but drill it down and i'ts less than net €800 per flight. A very sensitive business that has a number of factors outside it's control.I'm on about the Lookers Volkswagen site in Battersea, not the Inchcape one.
Bloody hell ! That flew under the radar! Looks like some VAG competition in West London coming. TVR1 said:
CarlT said:
TVR1 said:
Mastiff said:
They are "Brand Awareness" Centres more than anything else. With regard to car sales most will make money, some of course more than others but in the main, these places are more about raising the image of the brand and the products that they make. If anyone here hasn't seen it, do look at Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, or West London Audi, or Land Rover Battersea. Unbelieveable places that cost an absolute fortune to build and operate but if owned by the manufacturers or larger groups, they are just advertising and accounted for as such.
To a degree. MB World does serve a dual purpose and i have not much knowledge of Battersea but WLA most definately isn't just a showcase. It's a fully fledged business that isn't carried by the manufacturer or the dealer group that owns it. If it couldn't make a profit it wouldn't be there. VW world opening across the road is the same. As is Kia next door. MB opposite is the same. The only analogy I can think of is Ryanair. Makes good 'headline' profits but drill it down and i'ts less than net €800 per flight. A very sensitive business that has a number of factors outside it's control.
Grandfondo said:
I remember a time when you struggled to get mats thrown in to a deal at BMW,Merc and Porsche never mind discount !
Not quite true , I looked at a second hand 911 C4S about five years ago , the chap selling it showed me the original invoice it clearly showed everything listed at full retail including delivery charges etc , bar one thing....In amongst the extras was listed a Porsche baseball cap , with official part number but in the price column it was foc.
About £85k iirc and a poxy baseball cap hoyed in for nowt.!
CarlT said:
goldblum said:
Wilmslowboy said:
I know it might upset the OP...however I for one love to shop in beautiful surroundings...
What dealership is that? I'm sure I recognise it.
Grandfondo said:
I remember a time when you struggled to get mats thrown in to a deal at BMW,Merc and Porsche never mind discount !
Yes, back in the 80s it wasw so. I bought a new W123 coupé in 1983 from Castles of Leicester - well they allowed me to purchase it really - and didn't like it. I exchanged it for a 380SL and they wouldn't discount either even by a penny. But they gave me back the full purchase price on the CE which is another way of doing the same thingGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff