Car Dealerships Charge 45% More for Repairs and Parts
Car dealership garages, including VW, Renault, Nissan, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW Mini, charge on average 45% more for repairs and parts compared to independent garages.
Halfords Reveals Price Differences in Mystery Shopper Exercise
Halfords conducted a mystery shopper exercise and found that a spark plug change at Audi costs £418 at their dealership, while Halfords Autocentres charge only £227 for comparable parts.
Dealer or No Dealer Campaign to Raise Awareness
Halfords has launched a Dealer or No Dealer campaign to raise awareness among drivers that cheaper repairs with manufacturer-verified parts, which do not impact warranties, are available at independent garages.
Drivers Have a Misconception About Warranties
Halfords CEO, Graham Stapleton, states that drivers have a misconception that their warranties are void if they do not go to a car dealership. He explains that franchised dealerships are forced to use pricey parts and are located in expensive locations, which drives up prices for customers.
Significant Price Differences Found for Various Car Repairs
Halfords found that a spark plug change at Audi costs £418 at their dealership, while Halfords Autocentres charge only £227 for comparable parts. At BMW dealerships, a timing belt replacement costs £1,279, but at Halfords, it is priced at £576.
British Motorists Spend Over £21 Billion a Year on Maintenance and Repairs
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders states that British motorists spend over £21 billion a year on maintenance, parts, and repairs. A third of this amount is spent at franchised dealers.
Car Repairs Business Booming for Halfords
Halfords has experienced a 34.6% increase in sales at its Autocentres over the past 20 weeks. The company has made several acquisitions to expand its fleet of repair vans and garages. While bicycles used to be its main focus, they now only make up a quarter of sales.
Jollyes Retailer Offers Perks for Employees' New Pets and Marriages
Jollyes Gives Employees a Day Off for a New Pet
Retailer Jollyes is offering employees a day off when they get a new pet. The animal care chain also grants a week off on full pay for workers who get married or form a civil partnership.
Additional Perks and Expansion Plans
The pet-eternity and matrimony perks are in addition to staff discounts and enhanced maternity and paternity leave. Jollyes currently has 93 stores and 1,000 staff and plans to open ten more shops by the middle of next year.
Wilko to Close 52 Shops, Resulting in More Job Losses
52 Wilko Shops to Shut Next Week
Administrators at Wilko have announced that 52 shops will close next week, leading to 1,300 more job losses. Talks with Doug Putman, owner of HMV, are ongoing, and he may potentially save around 200 Wilko shops and the company's name.
Possible Further Store Closures
PwC administrators state that depending on the outcome of ongoing talks, further store closures may be necessary. Rival retailers have shown interest in buying some stores, but this will not prevent job losses.
Wagamama Owner Sees Sales Rise Despite Cost-of-Living Crisis
Ten Percent Rise in Sales for The Restaurant Group
The Restaurant Group, owner of Wagamama, has reported a ten percent rise in sales to £467.4 million. The company swung back to a profit of £2.3 million compared to a loss of £28.5 million in the previous year. Investors are pressuring the company to sell off its Frankie & Benny's chain, which experienced a three percent dip in sales.
Barratt Developments Cuts Back on New Homes Amid Challenging Property Market
Biggest Housebuilder in Britain Reduces New Home Construction
Barratt Developments, the biggest housebuilder in Britain, is cutting back on new home construction and land acquisitions. The company predicts a challenging property market due to soaring mortgage costs, which have made it harder for new home buyers. Barratt Developments built 400 fewer homes in the past year compared to the previous year and plans to build as little as 13,250 homes.
