NFDA discusses confidence, legislation and Brexit in Belfast

The new car market following Brexit, the role of dealerships, consumer legislation – including Consumer Rights Act, and the NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey, were the main topics of discussion at the NFDA meeting in Belfast. “The UK new car market may stabilise slightly in the near future, but will still be strong. Our sector has demonstrated its resilience over the past months and dealers have been coping well with recently introduced measures and unexpected challenges”, said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA).

Robinson continued, “It is vital that we continue to observe market trends and consumers’ needs and that dealers shape their strategies accordingly. The NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey is an important tool to understand consumers’ perceptions and monitor how they change. We encourage our members to look at the survey’s results.

“Over the past years, showroom activity has declined due to the constantly increasing use of internet. While it is essential that we continue to highlight the key role of dealerships, dealers must also ensure that their online market strategies are up to date and well targeted.

“Consumer confidence is likely to be undermined by media speculations and uncertainty rather than by actual measures. We will continue to support our members to allow the auto retail sector to perform well on the back of the positive results shown so far this year.”