Nationwide Autocentres is performing well for Halfords one month after its acquisition.

It has delivered like-for-like sales growth of 5% in the four weeks since the buyout was completed on February 18, 2010.

Rebranding the 224-strong chain of service and repair centres as Halfords Autocentres will begin in the coming financial year.

RETAIL STRONG

In the UK retail market, Halfords also reported positive trading for the 11 weeks to March 19, 2010. It posted increased revenues of 1.3% with like-for-like sales 0.8% higher than the previous year.

But it was margin-enriching car maintenance products and services that led revenue performance, delivering like-for-like growth of 13%.

This reflects the effect of the prolonged winter weather together with a record quarter of fitting participation of bulbs, blades and batteries, the company said in a statement.

The news was not so good in the leisure category, which traded below expectations. Cycle revenues in particular delivered disappointing performance with revenues only increasing by 1.9% on a like-for-like basis.

SAT NAV CHALLENGES

The company also said that the satellite navigation market remains challenging with revenues continuing to decline sharply year on year.

David Wild, Halfords CEO, said the results point to a strong year of trading for the group with full year earnings now expected to grow by 25%.

“The acquisition of Nationwide Autocentres, completed during the quarter, logically extends our successful service proposition and provides a further opportunity for future growth,” he said.

“The financial year has been a positive one for Halfords and with both of our divisions continuing to trade strongly in the fourth quarter, we expect that full year Group earnings before exceptional items will be ahead of market expectations.

“Looking forward, while the consumer environment remains challenging, we are confident that our leading positions, combined with further cost saving initiatives, will enable us to deliver another good result in FY11.”

COST SAVINGS

Halfords plans to make cost savings of around £6m by changing its distribution centre infrastructure and “realigning” store labour.

The group’s performance in Central Europe has not mirrored UK activity, with the operation posting an operating loss of £2.8m. Halfords will close its seven stores in the Czech Republic and Poland this summer.

Autodata has signed a deal with the AA to supply the roadside rescue company with technical information.

The AA will use Autodata’s CD3 product, which provides information for diagnostics and auto electrical work, as well as tyre pressures, timing belt and battery replacement.

Chris Bailey, head of Motoring Technologies at the AA, said: “The feedback and performance from our roadside patrols using the latest information from Autodata has been extremely positive.

“The range of technical information… helps them to quickly diagnose faults and improve repairs, helping our members to quickly continue their journeys.”

Nearly 1 in 10 UK motorists never check their oil and almost 66% of us don’t know the correct type to use.

So says Chevron Global Lubricants, which commissioned a survey of 5400 motorists across the UK, Spain, The Netherlands and Romania.

By contrast, an average of just 3.1% of motorists surveyed on the continent do not check their oil levels between services.

In Spain, 60.3% of car owners check their vehicle’s oil requirements with their service centre before topping up.

And Romanians get top marks for oil savvy with almost 80% knowing which brand of oil is in their car, compared to 44% of UK owners.

The survey also revealed different buying trends.

While more than half of Spanish drivers prefer to pay their garage to top up their oil, just 14% of UK owners opt for this service, with more than 70% of us preferring to buy our own oil between services.

Brian Hayes, Chevron’s UK marketing manager, suggested that oil firms need to educate motorists about the dangers of incorrect oil usage.

He pointed out that the oil market is getting more complicated, a trend underlined by the fact that over the last 15 years, Chevron’s Havoline range of engine oil has expanded from 4 to 14 products.

“Now more than ever,” said Hayes “a knowledge of which oil to use in your car’s engine is as essential as knowing which type of fuel to use.”

The search for Motor Codes’ Golden Garage is hotting up and CAT’s 2010 Garage of the Year, ABP Motorsport, still has everything to play for.

The Crewe-based independent, owned by Chris Meredith, has made it to the top 10 list and will now face a panel of judges and a site visit by the RAC, along with 9 other finalists.

The 10 regional winners, who will each bag prizes worth £1000, are:

A1 Motorcare – Cardiff, Wales

• ABP Motorsport – Crewe, North West
• Anglo Continental Cars – Milton Keynes, Midlands
• Arnold Clark Renault – Paisley, Scotland
• Clive Woolford Motors – Tewkesbury, South West
• Fred Henderson – Durham, North East
• Kinghams – Croydon, South East & London
• Kings of Witcham – Ely, East
• Prestige Services – Wakefield, Yorkshire
• SERE Motors – Lisburn, Northern Ireland

But only one can be crowned Golden Garage, a title which comes with an enticing prize pot worth £5000.

Over 8000 motorists voted online for their favourite local garage in the month-long contest.

Ian Bradley receives his award from field sales manager Mike Blissett

Ian Bradley of FPS Leeds has been crowned ADL’s champion customer for 2010 after submitting 900 product feedback requests last year.

The 10 customers who submitted the most feedback through the company’s online catalogue were awarded a small gift and named “Blue Print Champions”.

Winner Bradley was also handed £100 worth of shopping vouchers for his troubles.

The top 10 “Blue Print Champions”

• Ian Bradley – FPS
• Lee Jones – York Motor Factors
• Matthew Pope – York Motor Factors
• Stuart Wood – York Motor Factors
• Steve Askew – ALS
• Darren Murray – SDL (Minorfern)
• Darren Ryan – Andrew Page
• Michele Williams – FPS
• Simon Hambleton – General Traffic
• Jo Cole – FPS

Remy's poster guides you through diagnostic checks

Remy Automotive UK has produced a poster to remind installers to replace the steering rack and pump together.

The remanufacturer says that failing to replace both components at the same time leads to a 25% risk of premature failure of the replacement rack.

“Our research has proved conclusively that more than a quarter of steering racks and pumps have failed because of contamination,” says Michael Flensborg, Remy’s sales and marketing director.

“Quite simply, if contamination caused a steering rack to fail, then the problem will not just involve the steering rack, it will affect the pump itself.

“Not changing the power steering pump at the same time gives a more than 25% risk of premature failure of the replacement rack.

“This will lead inevitably to a very dissatisfied customer when he or her is told that another steering pump is required as the original problem experienced has not been solved.”

The full colour, A1-size poster shows the technician how to locate the correct cause of the steering fault before embarking on the replacement.

It can also act as a sales tool when explaining to customers why the dual job should be done.

XPart says it has saved 4 out of 5 cars destined for the scrap heap

XPart is slashing the price of high value mechanical parts for MG Rover cars suffering a major mechanical breakdown.

The company wants to slow the decline of the MG Rover car parc and hopes that if repair costs can be brought down fewer cars will be declared total losses.

It previously focussed on price reductions for crash repair components but is now extending cuts to engines, gearboxes and cylinder heads.

“If a car is in danger of being written off due to major mechanical failure, we will consider offering price reductions for the basket of parts required,” said Roger Clarke, product planner.

“The more MG Rover cars we can save, the greater the number of cars available for continued servicing and repair.”

XPart claims to have saved nearly 80% of damaged MG Rovers in danger of being written off since launching its cost reduction scheme in 2006.

Steve Sheppard is Manbat's MD

Delays in implementing European rules on battery labelling have led to unscrupulous trading from some companies.

That’s according to Manbat, which claims that some businesses are flooding the market with batteries that are “blatantly” exploiting the delay

EU Directive 2006/66/EC, which was due to come in to force last September, makes battery manufacturers and distributors responsible for ensuring the capacity of automotive batteries and accumulators is marked on them visibly, legibly and indelibly.

But Manbat says it has identified a number of batteries being sold with labels that either state directly or imply via their reference number that their capacity is higher that it actually is.

The company is advising the trade to source batteries from reputable suppliers and to opt for recognised brands.

Wiper Technik has approved supplier status for its comprehensive range of car, light commercial and commercial blades with the UAN, IFA and the IM Group who recognize that since its introduction, the Wiper Technik brand has established a loyal trade following through its competitively priced, quality product range. Following the introduction of 84 new numbers the range now consists of 262 part numbers across the exact fit, universal, rear and retro blade ranges.

The GYS welding range includes many products designed for the automotive workshop and bodyshop. The range includes the best-selling Monomig 160, a quality general workshop MIG welder; Trimig 205:4S designed for car body work, as well as the market leading Car Body Repair range of spot welders and dent pulling equipment.