Renault is to expand its ‘Minute’ aftersales format in the UK following its success in France. Such fast-fit centres complement existing dealerships and offer a useful means for vehicle manufacturers to try to increase their penetration in the lucrative parts and servicing market.
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Renault is to expand its network of ‘Renault Minute’ outlets in the UK in an effort to increase aftermarket penetration and dealer profitability. The French carmaker has 37 sites already offering the service with a further 13 planned, taking the overall total to 50.
The Renault Minute sites are one of a number of ‘vehicle manufacturer fast fit’ operations, which are growing rapidly in France, Spain and the UK. They generally operate on the same site as a main franchised dealer, but are focused on more routine service and maintenance than the main dealer workshops. Renault Minute outlets offer on-the-spot servicing for Renault cars and light commercial vehicles, and jobs taking less than two hours (such as a tyre change or simple brake pad replacement) can be done without the need for an appointment.
Selisk Ergin, director for services and quality at Renault UK, claims “Renault Minute is the future of aftersales in the UK for many customers, and it has been instrumental in attracting customers back to our dealerships.” The company is expecting the newly participating Renault dealers to experience an increase in profitability as a result.
Franchised dealers traditionally struggle to attract aftersales work on vehicles four or more years old, as customers begin to opt for lower cost alternatives – often independent garages. Renault Minute, like Ford’s comparable Rapid Fit and Vauxhall’s Masterfit amongst others, is attempting to attract more of the routine service work carried out by firms such as Kwik Fit.
These new outlets enable the vehicle manufacturers to increase their penetration of the market, either by lowering prices (for example, Renault has introduced its Motrio range of parts, which are cheaper than standard Renault replacement parts) or by servicing other makes of vehicle to expand its potential business, as Ford Rapid Fit does. Given the relative ease with which these sites can be introduced using existing franchised dealers, expect their numbers to continue growing.
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