The US owner of CarStore has announced plans to open 16 sites in the UK and cut 250 jobs.
The remaining four CarStore slots will remain open and re-franchise, while seven CarStore slots will be Evans Halshaw Direct slots. The U. S. company Lithia Motors demonstrated that consultations were already underway with the relevant body of workers. Lithia agreed to buy CarStore, Evans Halshaw and Stratstone. de Pendragon last year, with the £397 million purchase finalised in February 2024.
Pendragon hired another 5,500 people in the UK. Lithia has around 340 racers in North America and also owns the Jardine Motors brokerage group, which it acquired in 2022. Evans Halshaw owns racers for Citroen, Dacia, DS, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and Vauxhall, while Stratstone is behind Aston Martin, BMW, BYD, Ferrari, Genesis, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Porsche and Smart.
The UK used car market grew by 5. 1% in 2023. A spokesperson for Lithia said: “Following the ongoing acquisition and merger, we have carried out an initial review within the group. After this, we will consult with several of our colleagues. in relation to possible redundancies. All colleagues have been briefed today on how they might be affected.
They added: “We will be the last nine CarStore sites and seven CarStore modules this quarter to concentrate on Evans Halshaw and Stratstone. Four CarStore locations will be retained and refranchised, expanding our retail operations with 3 existing automakers, while the remaining seven. The CarStore modules will be direct sites from Evans Halshaw. “
Neil Williamson, regional chairman of Lithia UK, told Motor Trader: “The mix of Pendragon and Jardine Motors Group Lithia
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