A MAJOR UK car dealership has announced it will be closing five more of its branches.
Vertu Motors, which operates a chain of franchised dealerships across the UK, confirmed the closure of five sites across the country.
The company, which oversees dealerships for some of the country’s biggest motoring brands such as Peugeot, Citroen and Volvo, has warned staff will be affected.
Staff at Vertu’s Honda Bradford and Citroen Macclesfield dealerships were told to start working at different dealerships last week.
The decision to close the five branches was reportedly made after reviews of their financial viability.
Vertu have made it clear that no staff would be made redundant with the closures.
The other three stores set to close have not yet been named.
This comes just a month after Vertu announced it was closing three outlets in the South West – Launceston Peugeot, Barnstaple Peugeot and Barnstaple Volvo.
In a statement published by Car Dealer Magazine, a spokesman for Vertu said: “We have carefully reviewed the financial viability of our Launceston Peugeot, Barnstaple Peugeot, and Barnstaple Volvo dealerships, and made the difficult decision to enter consultation with our colleagues at these locations, with a view to potentially closing them in early February.
“Customers can continue to receive the high-quality service from these locations until we agree the outcome of this consultation process, or from our other dealerships in the area.”
These dealerships were acquired in 2022 as part of Vertu’s takeover of Helston Garages – a significant expansion that brought 28 franchised sites into its network across the South West.
But since completing the deal, Vertu has been streamlining its operations.
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