With all vehicle manufacturers producing cars and vans that require less maintenance, it’s inevitable that customers are making fewer visits to dealers. Maintenance requirements increase as vehicles get older, particularly as they change ownership and the relationship between original owner and dealership ends.

For many years, franchised dealers have tried and failed to attract this older vehicle parc (typically over three years old) back into their workshops. They are being serviced and repaired by the independent motor trade.

It is difficult for dealers to attract this older parc, but successful trade parts operations embrace this scenario and concentrate on supplying the independent motor trade with genuine manufacturer parts. They aim to become the first and logical choice for genuine parts.