There’s no one right answer for how to shift every car. The problem is most dealers don’t have a clear framework for deciding.
Start With One Question: What’s the Problem?
- Price: You’ve had interest but nothing’s landed. Drop the price properly and give it 7 days.
- Desirability: Wrong spec, colour, mileage. Retail will burn time. Consider auction or trade.
- Condition: Needs work or patchy history. Trade buyers will price in the risk.
- Time: You’re out of runway. Speed beats price. Trade buyer is fastest.
The Decision Tree
Keep Retail when: Less than 21 days live, getting interest, desirable car, got margin to wait.
Auction when: Other dealers want it, don’t need money immediately, car photographs well.
Trade Buyer when: Speed matters, over-age stock, awkward cars that won’t shine, need capital freed up.
Real Scenarios
- 2021 BMW 320d, 18 days, some interest: Keep pushing retail. Drop price if no movement by day 28.
- 2019 Vauxhall Insignia, beige, 104k miles, 35 days: Trade route. Won’t get more desirable.
- 2020 Mercedes C-Class, immaculate, 25 days: Give it 10 more days at lower price, then auction.
- 2018 Ford Focus, patchy history, 32 days: Trade route. Not auction stock.
The Bit Most Dealers Get Wrong
The mistake isn’t picking the wrong route. It’s waiting too long to pick any route.
The best dealers make fast decisions. They give retail a fair shot but don’t chase it forever. They use trade buyers when speed matters more than the last £300.
The Bottom Line
There’s no perfect route for every car. But there is a right route based on what it is, how long it’s been sitting, and what you need. Act fast. Don’t let habit or hope override what the car’s telling you.