Mazda achieves new sales milestone in August
Mazda, the brand that dealers love to represent, hit a new market share milestone in August.
Healthy sales saw Mazda take a record 3.8 per cent of the retail market and a 2.7 per cent share of the overall market, including fleet sales.
“We’re bucking the industry trend and selling above our own targets,” said David Wilson-Green, National Sales Manager, Mazda UK. “It’s a really strong post-scrappage bounce back and a fantastic result for us and our loyal dealer network.”
In a market down 17.5 percent on year ago levels – with retail sales plummeting 37 percent ahead of the ‘60’ plate change in September – Mazda saw its sales increase by 4.4 percent over August 2009 to 1,512 units; this takes year-to-date sales to 29,199, up 17.9 percent on the same period last year, according to figures from the SMMT.
Mazda’s share of the total UK market for the first eight months of the year was 2.25 percent, up from 2.16 percent in the same period of 2009. But the big success story of the month was the Mazda6 accounting for almost one-in-five sales in its segment to private buyers. With 180 new customers in August, Mazda6 outsold the combined total retail sales of Honda Accord, Toyota Avensis, Renault Laguna and Peugeot 407 by a dramatic 20 percent.
“Mazda6 has been consistently strong for us in retail and fleet and this year’s model improvements have seen it go from strength to strength. Both the petrol and diesel-engined models have gone down a storm with both customers and our dealers,” said Mr Wilson-Green.
Mazda6 had a 19.7 percent share of the retail sector in its segment and a 10.3 percent overall share including fleet sales. Its share of the fleet market was 7.9 percent.
Mazda has been traditionally strong in the retail sector that accounts for 67 percent of its total sales against an industry average of 51 percent.
“Private buyers appreciate we offer value for money because we have worked very hard to keep our residual prices strong and we have also worked hard to win local business users rather than chase costly, high volume fleet sales,” said Mr Wilson-Green.
This traditional strength is today backed by a profitable, 160-strong dealer network embracing small family concerns and larger multi-franchise plcs.
“Our dealers appreciate our openness with them and know they can talk to any of us at any time which is unusual in this business,” he added.
Hardly surprising that enquiries from prospective Mazda dealers have been at an all-time record level this year as more companies see the brand as their franchise of choice.
