Northern Ireland Buyers Boost Mazda's Market Share

DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – January 11, 2010: Mazda UK increased its retail market share in Northern Ireland for the fifth consecutive year in 2009 taking a 2.92 percent share – above Mazda’s national average of 2.4 percent - and selling almost 1,000 cars to private buyers. Mazda’s retail market share in Northern Ireland in 2008 was 2.7 percent.

“Increasing our retail market share in such a tough economic environment has been down to a great effort by our Northern Ireland dealers and demonstrates the appeal of the brand to the man and woman in the street paying for a new car with their own money,” said Mazda UK’s sales and marketing director Mark Cameron.

Part of Mazda’s success with private buyers has been the strength of residual values making Mazda’s range of award-winning cars even more appealing, he said.

Mazda’s presence in Northern Ireland was boosted in 2009 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.

“We have very loyal customers in Northern Ireland who keep returning to us, helped by equally loyal dealers, many of whom have been selling Mazda vehicles for more than 15 years,” added Cameron.

Mazda’s strong performance in the Province has been helped by a busy final few months that saw the brand take more than three percent of the retail market for the last five months of the year with a peak retail market share of 3.63 percent in August.

Retail market share in December was 3.04 percent, up from 1.96 percent in December 2008.

“Our challenge for 2010 will be to continue to grow market share and become the second best-selling Japanese brand behind Toyota,” said Cameron.

“We were not as reliant on scrappage incentives in 2009 as some of our rivals so I am confident that we can meet this challenge.”

Mazda’s total sales in Northern Ireland in 2009, including fleet sales, were 1,414 of which 990 were to private customers. Overall market share was 2.72 percent.

The total Northern Ireland market was 52,061, down 8.16 percent on the previous year according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders