June 1st marked the day that car dealerships up and down the country could re-open as part of the Government’s phased “re-boot” of the economy. This is contingent on car dealerships showing that they can meet the COVID-19 secure guidelines to protect shoppers and workers. This includes one-way systems, hand sanitising stations, protective screens and more frequent cleaning/de-sanitising of each car. All visits to showrooms must be by appointment only while various dealers have already hinted that they will allow potential buyers to test drive the cars by themselves (typically a salesperson would accompany them). The risk of cars “vanishing” under such circumstances is a gamble they are willing to take.
What does car dealerships now open mean for you? If, like me, you are thinking that your summer holiday will be of the “staycation” variety – be it in the UK or a neighbouring country that welcomes us – then this may require a new car more suitable for the task. Or, if you were simply keen to replace your old car with a newer model with the latest technology and safety features now is the time to do it! Courtesy of the dealers being shut down for such an extended period there are a lot of cars on the forecourts that are for sale. While there is the possibility for bigger than normal savings this might not be the case across the board; replacing old stock will most certainly take longer for the dealers because car manufactures aren’t able to build the cars as quickly as they could before. As such, there might not be the incentive for the dealers to sell their current stock for any sizeable discount. As the old saying goes, it’s all a question of supply and demand so best call Car Sleuth to get a proper lay of the land!
