New online auction service

Robins & Day – the dealer group owned by Peugeot UK – has signed up to the new online auction service launched by Cooper Solutions.

Robins & Day, which is based at 36 locations across the UK, has signed an agreement to trade vehicles through FullAuction, which was launched last summer.

Traditionally the firm has used local traders’ auctions to sell its unwanted stock from its sites, which stretch from London to Glasgow.

But now that business is all done online using FullAuction.

Barry Cooper, founder and managing director of Warwickshire based Cooper Solutions which offers a range of web based business tools for dealers, said the system had already helped Robins & Day sell 1,000 vehicles.

He said: “We have worked with Robins & Day now for around three years and it has always been a group which has been cutting edge in its use of technology.

“It currently uses our FullForecast and FullFinancials products to help run the financial aspects of its businesses.

“When we launched FullAuction we highlighted dealer groups we knew valued technology – and Robins & Day certainly embraced it in a trial and it is now using it across its group.

“It was a very new concept when we launched it and while it is growing markedly in popularity, it was a considerable step for dealers to take after disposing of their cars using the traditional methods for so long.”

FullAuction gives buyers access to a large range of franchised dealers with no costs or expenses to incur, while, for sellers, seven days liquidation of trade stock becomes possible for a dealer launching the sale of a part exchange vehicle within a day of adoption.

Simon Lawrence, financial director of Robins & Day, said: “We use Cooper Solutions in several parts of the business. Their ability to translate information into a very user-friendly form is very useful to us, and they have helped us with our recovery of debts.

“Because of that working relationship, we have signed up to FullAuction and have again found the product very easy to use and designed to simplify what we do, improve our efficiency and therefore boost our financial performance.”

Robins & Day is Peugeot’s largest dealer group with 36 locations across the UK and headquartered in Coventry.

It was founded in 1908 and later became part of the Rootes Motor group. In 1970 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Peugeot Motor Company PLC and holds the Peugeot franchise only.