The weather forecasters are now telling us that the snow maybe coming back (when are they ever right?) and there is no doubt that some people absolutely loved the fact that we, as a nation, abjectly failed to cope in the recent winter deluge – when has it been any different?
One unpleasant side-effect of the recent weather (well it depends on which side of the fence you’re on) is that car bodyshop’s have been inundated with cars, some up to 10 times more than they would usually have at this time of year. The misery of having your pride and joy all messed up is compounded by the fact that some accidents were totally avoidable and will probably mean all our insurance premiums will go through the roof again.
On a brighter note with the rain having now washed away the snow it means that all those buyers who put off buying a car are now flocking back to showrooms around the country. This means car dealers can breathe a collective sigh of relief that sales have finally been kick-started back into life.
There is cautious optimism among many car dealers that January will pan out as was originally expected before the dreadful weather took hold, but some think that February will see a spill over of activity as a result of lost time this month.
Of course if dealers get twitchy looking at their ageing stock negating their ability to replenish their prime retail spots with fresh supply will no doubt mean a continuation of sales and promotional events.
Long after the traditional January sales have ceased on the high street (with the notable exception of course of DFS) there will still be bargains and room for negotiation for the buyer who waits until the last few days of the month.
This is the time when dealers struggling to shout up for budget will be keen to sharpen their pencils so to speak.
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