Battery Stocks Warning from Varta

Varta has warned that recent mild winters could lead to an air of complacency in the trade and that severe weather conditions could have a marked effect on aftermarket battery stocks.

The warning comes as the Meteorological Office is predicting the coldest UK winter for at least a decade and Varta’s managing director Paul Matarewicz believes that many independent and franchised workshops may not have sufficient stocks to meet increased demand, saying: “Even though improved battery technology and a succession of mild winters have had the effect of lessening peaks and troughs in battery sales across the year, there can be no doubt that the return of a hard winter would lead to a substantial surge in battery failure, especially in older cars.”

The fitment of calcium-silver starter batteries since the late 1990s has increased the service life of batteries in new vehicles by an average of two years, but the strain on the battery and alternator – particularly with today’s increase in on-board power consumers – still takes its toll, especially in the cold weather.

Continues Paul Matarewicz: “Workshops looking to enhance their customer caring image and maximise battery sales this winter can take advantage of our free battery check kit, which provides the workshop with arrange of POS items, plus a comprehensive report on the condition of the car battery for handing on to the customer.”