Repair costs at car dealerships can be more than double the price of independent branches
CAR dealership garage charges for repairs and parts can be more than double independents’ prices.
VW, Renault, Nissan, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and BMW Mini ask on average 45 per cent more.
Halfords revealed the differences in a mystery shopper exercise and has launched a Dealer or No Dealer campaign for drivers.
It aims to raise awareness that cheaper repairs with manufacturer verified parts that do not impact warranties are available.
Boss Graham Stapleton said: “Drivers have a misconception that unless they go to a car dealership, their warranties are void.
“They’re paying over the odds because franchised dealerships are forced to use pricey parts and told by car brands to be in expensive locations, which pushes the price up for customers.”
Halfords found that a spark plug change at Audi costs £418, while Halfords Autocentres charge £227 for comparable parts.
At BMW dealerships, a timing belt replacement is £1,279 but at Halfords it costs £576.
Brit motorists spend over £21billion a year on maintenance, parts and repairs — a third of it with franchised dealers, says The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Car repairs are a growing business for Halfords, with sales at its autocentres rising an impressive 34.6 per cent over the past 20 weeks.
It has made a string of acquisitions to grow its fleet of repair vans and garages.
Bicycles, for which it was once best known, now make up just a quarter of sales.
They fell by 2.7 per cent.
Halfords said first half profits would be below 2022’s due to foreign exchange hits.
However, second half profits, thanks to the booming autocentres, would be well ahead.
It’s Jollyes nice
AS companies face a battle to keep their staff, retailer Jollyes is giving employees a day off when they get a new pet.
The animal care chain is also granting a week off on full pay for workers who get married or form a civil partnership.
Its so-called “pet-eternity” and matrimony perks are in addition to staff discounts and enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
The chain now has 93 stores and 1,000 staff.
It plans to open another ten shops by the middle of next year, after sales rose by a third in the past three months to £33.7million
Pet retailers have benefited from a boom in ownership since the Covid lockdowns.
And Jollyes said its success has been driven by attracting more customers, rather than hiking prices.
Boss Joe Wykes said he is focused on remaining cheaper than bigger rival Pets at Home.
Oil price jump
OIL prices have jumped above $90 a barrel for the first time this year as Saudi Arabia and Russia continue to cut production.
The steady rise has pushed petrol and diesel prices to the highest point since last December.
52 Wilko’s shops on axe list
ADMINISTRATORS at Wilko yesterday revealed the list of 52 shops the retailer will shut next week, resulting in 1,300 more job losses.
Shops ranging from Acton to Woking will close on Tuesday and Thursday after a bid to save the business in its entirety faltered.
Sources said talks with HMV’s owner, Doug Putman, remained very active and he could still take on around 200 Wilko shops and its name.
Administrators at PwC said that “depending on the outcome of those talks, it is possible further store closures may regrettably be necessary”.
Rival retailers are also interested in buying some stores, after B&M Bargains struck a £13million deal to buy 51 earlier this week — but this will not prevent job losses.
Sales up at Waga
WAGAMAMA owner The Restaurant Group has shrugged off the cost-of-living crisis with a ten per cent rise in sales to £467.4million.
Boss Andy Hornby said customers are being more “discerning” as the business swung back to the black with £2.3million profit compared to a loss of £28.5million last year.
Investors are pushing Trg to sell off its Frankie & Benny’s chain which posted a three per cent sales dip.
TRG is exploring “strategic options”.
Barratt building cutback
THE biggest housebuilder in Britain is cutting back on new homes and buying land as it predicts the “challenging” property market is here to stay.
Barratt Developments said soaring mortgage costs over the past year have made it harder for new home buyers.
The company has built 17,206 homes in the past year, 400 fewer than the year before.
It said it will build as little as 13,250 homes in 2024 — almost 4,000 fewer.
Slump fears have prompted it to cancel its share buyback policy, despite reporting annual profits of £705million.
PMI construction data shows house building activity last month fell at the sharpest rate since the financial crisis, aside from during Covid lockdowns.
Barratt boss David Thomas said: “Customers continue to face cost of living and mortgage affordability challenges, and new developments are increasingly constrained by an ineffective planning system.”
Natwest chooses its chair
NATWEST has picked Ocado’s Rick Haythornthwaite as its new chairman as it seeks to draw a line under the Nigel Farage debanking scandal.
The 66-year-old will replace Sir Howard Davies, 72, next April on a salary of £775,000 Mr Haythornthwaite is well-known in the City as he chairs both the online retailer and the AA.
He was previously chair of Mastercard, Centrica and Network Rail.
Natwest has resisted accelerating Sir Howard’s exit despite criticism over his handling of the Farage debacle.
Mr Haythornthwaite’s first task will be to appoint a permanent chief executive as Paul Thwaite is acting in an interim role.
The bank, which remains 38 per cent owned by the taxpayer, has fallen in value by 16 per cent so far this year.
Mr Haythornthwaite said: “I am inheriting a very different bank to my predecessor — one that is more customer-focused and financially resilient.”