SalesMaster Helping to Drive Used Car Sales

• New data from Automotive Transformation Group (ATG) shows that in the last six months, UK vehicle inventory has fallen by more than 25%. Yet, despite the lack of new vehicles available, SalesMaster has enabled its automotive retailer customers to successfully maintain overall sales and profitability levels, particularly by increasing sales of used vehicles
• At the start of 2021, two thirds of vehicles sold were from new inventory on SalesMaster. This dropped significantly by 14% in April. As the supply chain continued to dissipate largely due to the global semiconductor shortage, used vehicles sold on SalesMaster grew by more than 10%
• Overall, SalesMaster uptake and usage has soared by almost a quarter in 2021 alone, with the platform now serving over a million searches per month
• SalesMaster provides real-time inventory and pipeline visibility for OEM’s and retailers. Plus ultra-fast, always-on search functionality with automated reporting and instant information sharing between groups, sites, divisions and sales teams

​Bearsted, United Kingdom, 24 November 2021 – Automotive Transformation Group (ATG), the leading supplier of automotive fleet and stock management software through its SalesMaster platform, has released data today showing how its retailer customers have leveraged SalesMaster technology to weather the unprecedented storm in reduced new car supply over the last six months. UK vehicle stock levels crashed by more than a quarter and between April and October 2021, overall supply fell from 150,000 cars to just 110,000 last month. Retailers have maintained consistent monthly sales levels throughout, with particular emphasis placed on increased used car sales and strong margins.

The company’s acclaimed SalesMaster platform provides real-time inventory and pipeline visibility. It has proven an invaluable tool for retailers as they have sought to maximise used stock more effectively and help compensate for reduced new car availability, largely attributed to the global semiconductor shortage.

“Following the disruption of the pandemic, automotive retailers continue to face a challenging landscape. The reduction in the supply of new cars due to the lack of semiconductors worldwide has severely impacted profitability and is, unfortunately, expected to continue until 2023,” says SalesMaster CEO Chris Stott. “New car sales in October were nearly 25% down on the same month last year, but by contrast, the used car market has surged, with the value of some models doubling. Retailers can maximise the profitability of their used car stock, but only if they can view and manage it effectively. This is where SalesMaster’s inventory for both digital and physical sales has proven itself to be invaluable.”

SalesMaster gives network-wide visibility of all vehicle stock types – new, agency, importer, used, demo and courtesy on a single, effortless-to-access and intuitive-to-use digital platform. The system’s ultra-fast, always-on search facility is ideal for supporting omnichannel used car sales and enables retailers to respond instantly to customers’ requests in both physical and digital arenas. Utilising powerful live reporting, SalesMaster can deliver automated search results daily and enable data-driven decision-making processes. Sales teams can also benefit from SalesMaster by being able to identify and promote specific vehicles using campaigns and shared live stock views. The ability to share stock information across groups, sites, divisions, and sales teams ensures that every used car can be leveraged to optimise profitability, regardless of location or status.

Throughout 2021, SalesMaster has seen a 22% uptake in the number of users. It facilitates 1.1 million searches per month, enabling automotive retailers to maximise used car stock profitability through enhanced stock and pipeline visibility. The system also provides a comprehensive view of the new car pipeline. With many new car customers having to wait several months, sales staff can update them on the status of their car from SalesMaster with a single glance, which takes feeds directly from OEMs to enable real-time view of when the car will be built and shipped.

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About Automotive Transformation Group

As the huge global automotive market shifts rapidly towards digitalisation, mirroring the move seen in other consumer good sectors, the Automotive Transformation Group, comprised of Autofutura and GForces, was created with a clear mission - to transform the automotive sales process.

Offering the industry’s first global and scalable solution for automated vehicle lifecycle management, we integrate data, products, services and technology across our portfolio to connect OEMs, financiers, dealers and consumers in the most efficient way possible. Driving seamless, real-time transactions, simplifying the customer journey and improving customer retention, our market-leading solutions and omnichannel platform support our customers in embracing the opportunities available through the delivery of a truly omnichannel consumer journey.

Automotive Transformation Group is the trusted digital partner for more than 20 car manufacturers in over 10,000 locations across 96 countries and currently handles a transaction every 3.5 minutes ($4.25 billion per year).

Media Contact

Mike Gale, michael@influenceassociates.com / +44 787 656 3044

James Coghlan, james@influenceassociates.com / +44 207 287 9610