Mazda Sees Northern Ireland Sales Soar 81%

DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – April 26, 2010: Private buyers are switching to Mazda in record numbers as the brand’s Northern Ireland dealers continue to out perform their UK mainland colleagues.

In March, Mazda achieved a three percent share of the Northern Ireland retail market, outperforming manufacturers like Honda, Audi, Citroën and Fiat and becoming the third best-selling Japanese brand in Northern Ireland behind Toyota and Nissan.

“Customers know that we represent really good value for money and as our brand awareness grows in Northern Ireland, more and more customers are switching to us,” said Mark Cameron, sales director for Mazda UK.

Mazda saw its retail sales grow a remarkable 81 percent in March from 2009 levels. In the same period the Northern Irish industry reported a 22 percent growth in retail sales for the month, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

And it wasn’t all down to the final flurry of scrappage incentive sales. Fewer than one-in-four (23 percent) of all Mazda sales, including business and fleet customers, were accounted for by scrappage.

Overall, Mazda’s total sales were up 28 percent from year-ago levels, well ahead of the 13 percent industry average growth.

March was the eighth consecutive month that Mazda has posted a retail market share at or above three percent in the Province. Mazda’s retail market share for the total UK is 2.6 percent.

March also rounded off a strong first quarter’s performance for Mazda’s Northern Ireland dealers who can now boast a 3.18 percent retail market share for the year so far and the company now believes it can hit a 4 percent market share this year.

The popularity of the Mazda2 and Mazda3 has helped the company’s success as has the strength of its sales network. This was boosted last year with the appointment of an eighth dealership, Pat Kirk Ltd in Omagh, the second Mazda outlet for the long-established company that has an existing dealership in Strabane.