Mazda Opens More Dealers in Europe in 2009 Than Ever Before

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – July 1, 2009: 30: Mazda Motor Europe expects to appoint more than 100 new dealers to its European network this year, the highest annual number since Mazda took over its European sales network. In the first quarter of the year, 25 new dealers were appointed and Phil Waring, Chief Operating Officer of Mazda Motor Europe, wants to maintain that momentum.

The new appointments will maintain the total network at around 2,100 but, more importantly, it will fill key gaps in the network and help boost sales by an extra 10,000 units as Mazda targets some 250,000 sales this year.

Major appointments have already been made and Waring says that the new dealers will help Mazda grow its market share across Europe from 1.6 percent last year.

“We are more and more a franchise of choice for dealers across Europe, with some of the best retailers in the business,” says Waring. New products like the hot-selling Mazda2 and recently-launched Mazda3 are making the franchise even more attractive.

Mazda is also an increasingly desirable brand for smaller, entrepreneurial dealers. “It’s like being part of a family,” says West of England Mazda veteran Danny Sacco.

One of the attractions for new dealers, says Waring, is that Mazda “makes life simple for our dealers. We don’t demand huge investments in facilities or an enormous administrative burden.”

New financing arrangements with Santander in the UK are also making life easier for Mazda dealers. The switch to the Spanish banking giant is making financing stock very affordable and giving customers a great deal as well.

The priority for Mazda Motors Europe is that its dealers make a profit and enjoy working with the company. Waring says: “We want to be easy to do business with and help dealers achieve a better return on investment.”

Amarjit Shokar, aged 43, has been dealer principal at Romford Mazda in southern England since 2007. Amarjit and his brother Kam bought the business after 12 years working in premium franchise dealerships.

Amarjit says: “Mazda is very realistic and understanding in what they expect from their partners. For example: when our showroom needed modernising we were allowed one and a half years to do it and did it a bit at a time.”

Amarjit and Kam are pleased with the modern product lineup and the new finance agreements which are helping them to invest into their business and to sell cars. Profits and sales have grown at the business in the last two years, with revenues up from EUR 6.9 million to EUR 11.5 million.

“Working with Mazda feels great”, concludes Amarjit. “Operating a Mazda franchise is a very good experience. We would like to add another one.”