DROUGHT OR DROIDS?

Service Dealer editor, Steve Gibbs, writes . . .

We are working away here at Service Dealer Towers, putting together the next issue of your favourite magazine for the independent dealer network - which as you may have already read, is getting even bigger and ever better!

As Duncan explains here, the magazine when you next receive it will now include a dedicated section for construction machinery and plant hire. We know from our dealership visits and conversations that many of our readers are already in this sector - and I'm sure that many more will be interested in hearing about the potential that diversifying into a new, yet related, market could offer to their business.

So do look out for the new section when the mag hits your desks at the beginning of November. The pages will be overseen by expert construction and plant journalist, Dan Gilkes, so you will be in great hands. Dan knows his stuff and has spent this week at the Plantworx exhibition (pictured) - so expect plenty of coverage from that show to kick things off.

Nikki from our Service Dealer team has been there with Dan this week, meeting the great and good of the construction equipment world. She told me that there was a super positive vibe at the show, mentioning how it was a busy, productive few days with loads of new kit on display. She said that from her conversations it appeared that there's plenty of manufacturers out there who are interested in getting their machinery into new dealerships in different areas of the country - so it sounds like there will be plenty to interest our readers. 

So, if there is anyone in your dealership who works in these areas and doesn't currently receive Service Dealer magazine or the Weekly Update email, then please forward them the subscribe link at https://www.servicedealer.co.uk/subscribe

How has the season been for you?

The mag that will introduce our new section will be cover dated November / December '25 (I know! Where has the year gone?!) As is traditional for the issue that will be on the tables when we get to our Conference, we like to reflect how our dealer readers have viewed the preceding season with the results of our Autumn Survey. 

Last year when we asked you how 2024 had been for your business, the general view that we heard back from those who responded was that machinery sales were down, but any shortfall had been made up via busy workshops.

But I wonder, is that a similar situation this year? Anecdotally dealers have told us that turfcare machinery sales have certainly been sluggish - and we've heard from the AEA all year just how low registrations of agricultural tractors have been each month.

However, in terms of workshops compensating for sales downturns, has that panned out the same? We have heard from some dealers that due to the unfavourable weather conditions, their service departments have not seen quite the same levels of activity this year. We've been told that customers simply have not been using their machinery as much and therefore not bringing it in for a service. Does that ring true for your dealership?

As ever with these surveys, we don't want to concentrate wholly on the negatives though, We are keenly interested to hear where your business has found success this past year. We know how resilient and resourceful our dealer readers are, so please tell us about it. Have you taken on a new franchise? Moved into hire? Found that robotics is opening new avenues for you? Whatever you have been pleased with this year, we would very much like to hear about it in our extended comments section of the survey.

It would be fantastic if you were able to spare a few moments to let us know how things have been for your dealership, by taking the survey today. We shall report the results and feature as many of your comments as we can in the upcoming (expanded!) issue of Service Dealer magazine.

Thanks in advance for your help.

TAKE THE SURVEY