Every time you go shopping, you are a target for upselling. Extended warranties, in the news lately because of alleged sharp selling practices, are probably the most high profile example. Supermarkets are experts at passive upselling. You go in for essentials and come out with much more. In fact, supermarkets actually measure average purchases per customer – the so called 'shopping basket' – and work very hard to get this average spend up.
Get your Every time you go shopping, you are a target for upselling. Extended warranties, in the news lately because of alleged sharp selling practices, are probably the most high profile example. Supermarkets are experts at passive upselling. You go in for essentials and come out with much more. In fact, supermarkets actually measure average purchases per customer – the so called 'shopping basket' – and work very hard to get this average spend up.
Bridgestone is to invest £275m as it looks to build sales in Europe. The finance, which will be provided by the Japan-based Bridgestone Corporation, will be used by Bridgestone Europe in a sales push targeted at lifting passenger car tyre sales by up to 15 per cent by 2008.
The launch of a new customer information parts and services website by Peugeot could signal the start of greater access to a freer flow of technical information in line with the new block exemption changes.
Bosch says it has applied for more patent registrations last year than ever before – the majority of the 2,622 original applications coming from its Automotive Technology division. Petrol injection, chassis and diesel systems as well as automotive electronics were to the fore.
Saab's UK sales operation, Saab Great Britain, may be combined with Vauxhall's as part of parent GM's Europe-wide 'Viggen' plan to revive the sales fortunes of the unprofitable Swedish carmaker.
In the latest move to reduce its £42.5m deficit on its final salary pension scheme, Honda UK has announced it is to pump £6.5m into the fund and increase its own annual contributions by over 2 per cent per year – equivalent to £2.5m.
US-based automotive and general engineering group The Timken Company has announced the planned closure of its plant in Darlington in County Durham.
Adam Opel AG, OOO UkrAvtoZAZ-Service and ZAO ZAZ today signed agreements for import, final assembly, distribution and service of selected Opel vehicles in the Ukraine.
Korean carmakers have warned that if the Iraq war lasts more than three months, its domestic vehicle production will fall by 9.5 per cent, or 300,000 units, to 28.5 million units.
The uncertainty linked to the Iraq War and terrorism is hitting car buyer confidence and has cut March UK car sales by 30 per cent, according to data released by CarPriceCheck.com.
Research at the US Agriculture Department of Agriculture has raised the possibility of using vegetable oil as an engine oil additive.
The Volkswagen Group is planning to invest an extra 1bn euros in China this year to finance the building of new manufacturing facilities and the introduction of new models.
Fiat has agreed to sell its insurance subsidiary Toro to publishing group De Agostini for $2.53bn as part of the restructuring/refinancing package designed to bolster its loss-making car division.
Gowrings plc which sold the assets of its franchised car sales operations to Inchcape plc last year in order to concentrate on its Burger King business, has uncovered accounting irregularities in the motor business's books affecting the past four years' accounts.
BMW is set to increase Mini output at Oxford by around 10 per cent over the next few years to around 180,000 units (2002= 160,000 units).
Honda is trying to raise the age of retirement to 62 at its Swindon plant in order to prevent a crisis in its pension fund.
War with Iraq could cost the UK motor industry £1bn in new car sales, according to CarPriceCheck.com.
Land Rover has now launched the new Range Rover on the Chinese market. The newly launched version, equipped with a 4.4-litre V8 engine, is priced at 1.4 million yuan ($168,675).
Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn is to become a co-chairman of the company after current chairman Yoshikazu Hanawa announced he is to step down.
General Electric may be a potential bidder for Fiat's aerospace unit Fiat Avio. Other prospective buyers include Italian company Finmeccanica, French group SNECMA and US private equity fund, The Carlyle Group.
Ford may be planning to move some Land Rover production facilities to China, according to some media reports in the country this morning.
Churchill Insurance, one of the UK's leading motor insurers, has been put up for sale by owner Credit Suisse. Potential buyers are said to include fellow direct insurer Direct Line, the Royal Bank of Scotland subsidiary. According to the <I>Sunday Times</I> of March 16, Credit Suisse will accept offers in the region of £1.5 billion.
Ford is to separate financial performance data by its Premier Automotive Group (PAG) activities from the results of its US, European and Asia-Pacific operations. The change takes effect from the current quarter.
Administrators of failed Bridlington-based former Lada Niva and Tata pickup and SUV importer Motor Vehicle Industries (MVI), says it is in negotiations with an interested buyer over the sale of parts of the business.
Amicus and TGWU union members at Peugeot's Ryton plant near Coventry voted to accept a revised pay offer from the carmaker on Friday 14 March.
Ford president Nick Scheele – already on the defensive over claims he pushed Ford ad business to a friend's agency – is at the centre of more controversy. This time over an alleged rift with Ford's purchasing chief and executive vice president David Thursfield.
Sales of new cars in western Europe dipped by 3.5 per cent in February, figures released today by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) today reveal.
Mon Motors' new Audi Centre in Cardiff – redeveloped at a cost of £1.5m – has now opened its doors for business.
General Motors is considering assembling Saab vehicles in the United States as part of the much-vaunted 'Viggen' turnaround plan for the loss-making Swedish carmaker.
