In the luxury car segment Mercedes-Benz has been the traditional top selling marque however it lost this position for the first-time last year – BMW posting annual sales of 26,184 to Mercedes-Benz’s 24,315. BMW has maintained its lead this year with sales rising 8.5 percent in the first four months while Mercedes- Benz has suffered a 29 percent decline. In the four months BMW made 7135 sales to Mercedes Benz 5,540. Clearly, Mercedes-Benz move to an Agency model from January 2022 where there is no discount available, with the company selling directly to the customer at a fixed price has not been a success. The move has also impacted dealer profitability and there is considerable unrest within the Mercedes-Benz dealer group. In recent weeks some dealers now openly advertising considerable end of financial year discounts on certain models to stimulate business.

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