A DEALER’S PERSPECTIVE

“If I want to paint the showroom pink this afternoon, I can,” says Stephen Ody, co-founder and managing director of Tracks Suzuki of Exeter (he also has a branch in Taunton).

His point is that, as the owner of an independent business, he has freedom to make decisions.

Tracks sells about 500 new cars across its two branches annually, and in 2021 it was crowned Suzuki dealer of the year.

“Suzuki is a friendly company and easy to do business with,” says Ody. “They’re realistic about what a business like ours can achieve. We don’t have anyone demanding we build a multimillionpound showroom.”

He admits it’s hard work but says the reward is customer retention of around 45%.