After a quiet 2021, market consolidation picked up again significantly in 2022. And the momentum could continue in 2023. One thing is certain: the face of the automotive trade in Germany has changed significantly again this year. The "industry bible" shows the state of play in the German automotive trade and provides all the key figures for the top 100 dealership groups in Germany:
- A portrait of around 60 car dealership groups
- From Audi to Volvo: overview of dealer and service networks
- the top ten dealers in new car sales per brand
- the total turnover of these groups amounts to over 43 billion euros
- with a total number of over 84,000 employees
- they stand for over 720,000 new cars sold
- and over 750,000 used cars sold
A mega merger and many other takeovers: Concentration in the German automotive trade increased again in 2022. A lot has happened, especially in the networks of German manufacturer brands. For example, four previously independent family-run dealership groups from the VW Group brands announced their merger - and would be one of the largest car dealerships in Germany in the future if completed in 2023. The companies involved are the car dealerships Marnet (Königstein im Taunus), Göthling und Kaufmann (Hofheim am Taunus), Best-Auto-Familie (Mühlheim am Main) and Gelder und Sorg (Haßfurt), all of which are regional neighbors along the River Main.
Things are also happening in other networks. In Hamburg and Holstein, the Dello Group is expanding to include the five locations of its competitor Lensch & Bleck. The merger of the two companies is to take place in the coming months. The Lensch Group (Opel, Kia) employs around 160 people at five locations in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg and currently markets around 4,500 new and used vehicles every year. The Dello Group is one of the largest Opel dealers worldwide. It also sells other Stellantis makes as well as Kia, Mazda and now MG at a total of 52 locations. Last year, Dello marketed around 15,000 new and used vehicles with 1,550 employees and generated a turnover of 840 million euros.
"We can't take the decision as to which strategies are best for the respective car dealership companies away from anyone. However, our special edition 'Germany's major car dealers' once again provides managers with information about what is going on in the minds of their market competitors, how they think, what they plan and how they act," explains "kfz-betrieb" editor-in-chief Wolfgang Michel.
The special edition "Germany's major car dealers" is an industry navigator for sales and service in the German car trade and presents the who's who of the major players for new and used cars. The editorial team shows what makes the major car dealers successful, which companies are among the top 100, how the network structures of manufacturers and importers are organized and which dealers are most successful with which brands.
Illustration: Cover of the "kfz-betrieb" special edition "Germany's major car dealers in 2022"
Editorial offices can order a free reading copy at mailto: pressestelle@vogel.de
"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for over 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German automotive trade (ZDK), the professional interest group for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. News from the entire automotive industry can be found at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. "kfz-betrieb" is a media brand of the Vogel Communications Group.
Vogel Communications Group (VCG) is a leading provider of specialist communication and information with 700 employees and a turnover of around 100 million euros. The group of companies is represented at 8 locations in German-speaking countries and also internationally with a focus on China. VCG offers a group-owned agency network consisting of 8 communication agencies and service companies. With around 100 specialist media, it is anchored in the 5 economic fields of automotive, industry, information technology, law/economics/taxes and B2B communication/marketing. VCG offers 250+ services, 100+ digital platforms and communities as well as 300+ business events per year for professional and successful corporate communications.
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