Chinese carmaker Geely Auto UK will finish the year ahead of target with the appointment of of its 55th dealer.
Having launched into the UK at the end of October with 25 locations open, the brand was predicting the year would finish with a total of 50 retail sites appointed.
It has just appointed its 55th retail location and the team is expecting to build on this number before the end of the year.
“Dealer interest in the brand has been really strong right from the start, and indeed even before that, and we are very happy with the progress being made,” said Adam Harkin, dealer development director at Geely Auto UK.
Geely has major ambitions for its UK presence – the group has stated that it will launch 10 new models by over the next three years, by which time it expects to selling 100,000 cars annually.
The dealer programme is being undertaken separately from Geely’s existing brands to establish a standalone network – only one of the current outlets, Lipscomb Cars in Maidstone, already has a Volvo franchise.
Geely has major ambitions for its UK presence – the group has stated that it will launch 10 new models by over the next three years, by which time it expects to selling 100,000 cars annually.
Dealer network plans are equally ambitious – having like the other new brands chosen a traditional franchise model Geely has embarked on an aggressive programme to sign up dealers. The first 25 outlets were announced at the launch event and the network is expected to grow to 50 sites through the rest of this year and 100 by the end of 2026.
This programme is being undertaken completely separately from Geely’s existing brands to establish a standalone network – only one of the current outlets, Lipscomb Cars in Maidstone, already has a Volvo franchise.
According to Harkin experience in the market helped dictate the decision to go the franchise route. “With the pace of the network growth and the sales we want to achieve, we have to do that through franchise partners – they have the experience and can hit the ground running,” he said.
The initial network includes well-known dealer groups, including John Clark, Greenhous, Perrys, Stoneacre and Sytner, and also some groups who have recently opened outlets for other new entrants; “It’s great to work with them because they are experienced in bringing a new brand to the market. But we also have quite a lot of dealer groups what have not yet gone with a new brand.
