Thread: Dacia will stick to 'no discounts' policy

Renault's budget arm will not pander to UK tradition of heavily discounting new car salesDacia will robustly defend its no discounts sales policy when the brand launches in the UK from today, and has threatened to even pull out of the market should buyers not agree with its principles.
The 5995 Dacia Sandero and 8995 Dacia Duster models make up Dacias launch line-up in the UK, and they will be sold through parent firm Renaults dealerships. They will be marketed and sold at low list prices – but absolutely no lower.
Its a strategy that runs contrary to the way that many volume-brand cars are sold in Britain – through either dealer- or manufacturer-funded list price offers. Its a key part of the Dacia brand: transparent value-for-money, said Renault UK managing director Thierry Sybord. And we wont kill the brand for Britain. I believe that buyers in the UK will respond to the simplicity of buying a Dacia – but if Im wrong, we will just pull out.
Dacias will not be kept in stock in the UK - every one will be the product of an individual customer order, with lead times of between three- and six months expected. For that reason, and because Dacia orders will not count towards dealer sales bonuses, the kind of deals sometimes seen with other brands – often struck to deliver volume-related sales rewards or to manage supply – wont be necessary.
Sources admit that it is not up to Renault to dictate dealers on how to sell cars, but margins on entry-level Access models were very low, a deliberate tactic to get dealers to up-sell where there is a little more bargaining room.
Renault is aiming for one per cent of the UK market with Dacia in 2013, with around 20,000 sales through around 150 dealers. It has had 1700 Duster orders so far.