Motor Trader reveals top dealer groups for return on sales

Mitchell Group delivered the highest return on sales according to the more recent Motor Trader Top 200 Dealer Groups published in the April issue of Motor Trader.

Mitchell delivered a return on sales of 5.6% closely followed by Appleyear which delivered a return on sales of 3.4%.

Average return on sales for the entire MT Top 200 is up substantially from 0.78% to 1.51% pre-tax profit as a percentage of sales

Average return on sales for the entire MT Top 200 is up substantially from 0.78% to 1.51% pre-tax profit as a percentage of sales.

Return on sales for this survey’s Top 25 performers is also markedly up, ranging from 2.8% to 5.6%

Return on sales (pre-tax profit as a percentage of sales) for the whole MT Top 200 was up considerably at 1.51% compared to the previous survey’s 0.78%, and ending a run of five years of diminishing returns.

The Top 25 best performers for return on sales also upped their game, returning between 2.8% and 5.6%. Mitchell Group (163) takes the top spot with a return on sales of 5.6% even after charitable donations of £252,243.

There are 12 groups in this Top 25 that were present last year, plus Chapel House Holdings (129), the results for that group being too late last year for inclusion except as a ‘stop press’.

Eight (including Chapel House Holdings) of the groups in this year’s Top 25 have been in this sub-table for at least five years: Arnold Clark Automobiles; Cars 2 (127); CEM Day (66); Chapel House Holdings; FRF South Wales (136); Gravells (126); Mitchell Group; and Porsche Retail Group (44).

 

 

Rank Top 200 Rank Company Latest Turnover (£000) Latest Pre-tax Profit (£000) RoS %
1 163 Mitchell Group 48,923 2,729 5.6%
2 179 Colin Appleyard 39,055 2,097 5.4%
3 129 Chapel House Holdings 74,714 3,320 4.4%
4 158 Penton Motor Group 53,121 2,223 4.2%
5 100 Hildenborough Group 115,485 4,769 4.1%
6 2 Arnold Clark Automobiles 3,798,200 156,500 4.1%
7 127 Cars 2 76,242 2,982 3.9%
8 25 Cambria Automobiles 563,109 21,752 3.9%
9 160 Wellington Motors 51,455 1,984 3.9%
10 66 CEM Day 200,217 7,657 3.8%
11 114 Hawkins Motor Group 89,566 3,424 3.8%
12 126 Gravells 76,583 2,905 3.8%
13 136 FRF South Wales 68,131 2,583 3.8%
14 21 Parks of Hamilton 705,320 26,338 3.7%
15 44 Porsche Retail Group 310,975 11,572 3.7%
16 191 Ron Brooks Motor Group 34,201 1,248 3.6%
17 80 Toomey Group 164,079 5,724 3.5%
18 53 McLean & Appleton 255,318 8,854 3.5%
19 27 Steven Eagell 514,406 16,841 3.3%
20 175 John Banks Group 41,192 1,348 3.3%
21 165 Dale’s Central Motors 47,497 1,542 3.2%
22 194 David Hayton 33,278 1,027 3.1%
23 35 HR Owen plc 448,481 13,685 3.1%
24 113 Cox Motor Group 91,086 2,684 2.9%
25 95 Parkway Derby 126,060 3,493 2.8%
Note: 1.) This table is based solely on those businesses for which figures were available excluding estimates.
          2.) This tables only includes those groups reporting reporting from June 2020.
          3.) These results do not generally take account of exceptional profits, although some
                groups were excluded where particularly large ‘exceptionals’ were noted.