After ten weeks of lockdown, the family-owned automotive retailer got off to a flying start with a 21 per cent sales uplift across its 48 dealerships compared with the same week last year.

It was also a record-breaking week for incoming sales enquiries with volumes into the business increasing by 177 per cent compared with the same week last year.

Both telephone and digital enquiries were the highest JCT600 has ever experienced in a single week and the company also saw web traffic double last week compared with the level experienced during lockdown with people spending more time and viewing more pages than before.

“After two and a half months of dealerships being closed, there’s obviously a huge pent-up demand from customers wanting to change their cars,” said John Tordoff, CEO of JCT600.

“While it’s been a frustrating period for us, our team and our customers, health and safety has, of course, to be the priority and we now have measures in place to make sure our showrooms are as safe as possible.”

JCT600 has dealerships throughout Yorkshire, the North East, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

In order to keep customers safe it has implemented limits to visitor numbers in order to achieve safe social distancing in the showrooms and moved to an appointment only system to manage this.

Dealerships have clearly marked flows for customers to follow as well as rigorous cleaning for all high-touch areas and hand sanitisation stations for colleagues and customers. In addition, every vehicle is sanitised, sealed and then quarantined prior to a customer interaction, and all customer areas are sanitised after every use.

In addition, JCT600 has also increased its digital processes with customers now able to reserve online, take virtual test drives, use video calls and to implement an order and collect service.

It has also introduced 100 per cent paperless administration and uses home delivery services.

Mr Tordoff added: “We have spent the last ten weeks preparing for the safe re-opening of our dealerships and we’re confident that we can deliver a flexible experience for all of our customers.

“We’ve also worked hard to keep our team informed throughout the period and ensure that returning colleagues are trained on all standards, processes and systems before they walk through the showroom door.

“We expected to be busy, but the last 10 days have been phenomenal.

“On Monday, June 8, we recorded the highest number of sales enquiries into the business we’ve ever had – quite an achievement for a business as long-established as ours.”

The figures show JCT600 to be bucking the trend with the automotive industry experiencing a great deal of turbulence internationally.

Research from What Car? magazine showed that close to a third of those who are considering buying a new car are delaying their purchase in the hope that the Government will announce new scrappage scheme-style incentives.

It comes following the news from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) that there was an 89 per cent drop in new car registrations during May as dealers across the UK had to keep their doors closed.

But lockdown has also changed buying choices too. Close to 19 per cent said that they have changed the brand of vehicle that they were considering prior to lockdown.

JCT600 enjoys record sales following easing of lockdown