Rishi Sunak MP opens Browns of Richmond . Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
Dealers who take a decisive and proactive approach to the final quarter of the year can still unlock strong year-end performance and build momentum into 2026.
Q4 continues to spark anxiety across the motor retail sector, with falling footfall and intensifying pressure around year-end targets often prompting dealers to retreat into a defensive stance.
The industry’s traditional concern around this period, reflected by a sharp slowdown following the energy of the September plate change and the shift to darker nights, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy for retailers who assume the slowdown is inevitable.
A Q4 typified by metaphorical tumbleweeds blowing through showrooms is far from inevitable. Those who approach the period with a clear plan often find it can be one of the most strategically valuable windows in the calendar.”
Rather than protecting earlier profits and waiting for January, Brown says strong-performing dealers actively create momentum in the run-up to Christmas, despite lower activity and consumers’ focus switching to festive spending.
He argues that customers still buy cars in Q4 but require stronger motivation and structured engagement from retailers.
Consumers still buy cars in Q4, they just need a stronger reason to do so. This is where urgency, personalisation, and proactive communication can make the difference.
MotorVise’s experience shows that a well-executed retail event can deliver up to three months’ worth of activity in just a few days, without resorting to heavy discounting. This is achieved by activating sales experiences and appointment-driven processes to create personalised one-to-one sales experiences and giving customers clear reasons to engage.
Forward-thinking retailers are increasingly deploying data-driven tools, including personalised digital invitations, QR-based response systems and renewal targeting, to reach the right customers at the right time.
With supply pipelines improving and lead times shortening across the sector, November remains a viable month for meaningful registrations, helping dealers hit OEM targets, unlock bonuses and set up a strong start to 2026.
Q4 doesn’t need to be a sales write-off. Quiet quarters aren’t dictated by the market but rather they are shaped by dealers’ actions. Those who stay proactive and refuse to accept a seasonal slowdown are the ones who emerge victorious in the year-end battle for sales.
Fraser Brown is the founder of Motorvise
