The average return on sales for dealer groups – pre-tax profit as a percentage of sales – fell for the fourth year running to 0.85%, according to the just published Motor Trader Top 200 Dealer Groups.
This is below the pre-pandemic long-term average. Even the Top 25 by return on sales experienced cuts, although still achieved between 2.1% and 5.3%.
Once again CEM Day (56) heads this sub-table with a return on sales of 5.3%. No less than 12 groups listed here were in the Top 25 return on sales last year including: Cameron Group (143); Hawkins Motor Group (116); Ingram Motoring Group (180); and Wellington Motors (162) – to name but four.
“There are three groups in this sub-table that have appeared for ten straight years or more: CEM Day; FRF South Wales; and Mitchell Group,” said Motor Trader Top 200 author Chris Oakham
According to the report 44 groups recorded pre-tax losses compared to 23 last year
The total number of staff employed is up 2% at 143,375 but still below the pre-pandemic year of 2019
The average profit per employee is down compared to last year’s edition at £5,556.
The Top 25 for profit per employee, though, managed returns from 2.5 to 6.4 times the average.
Coming out on top this time – and ending Porsche Retail Group’s (40) nine-year run in first place – is Mitchell Group with £35,556 pre-tax profit per employee. Sixteen groups appeared in this Top 25 last year.
On pay, there were 176 groups present in both the 2025 and 2026 MT Top 200 that have accounts available from June 2024 – excluding estimates.
On a weighted average basis across these, pay has increased from £37,324 to £37,583 or 0.7%. Although £37,583 is 4.1% higher than the national average for all UK employees (full and part-time via Office for National Statistics), the gap is closing and could affect staff retention in the future.
The Top 10 by average pay reward their staff with levels ranging from 16% to 43% above the MT Top 200 as a whole. Five groups listed in this sub-table made the grade in last year’s report.
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