HERE’S another Lioness having a remarkable year.
Nicola Dobson. Peugeot MD.
Peugeot sales have rocketed 39 PER CENT under her watch. That’s 71,000 cars.
One every six minutes. Overtaking Vauxhall, MG, Skoda and more.
Part of the success is down to Dobson focusing on people like you and me.
Zero per cent deals on SUVs. Incentives to keep existing customers sweet.
Special “Friends and Family” discounts for NHS, emergency services and qualified teachers.
Another factor is Dobson knowing the business inside out.
She started at Peugeot as a graduate making the teas 25 years ago and has worked her way up to the top job via distribution, sales, fleet, product, marketing and after-sales. Pretty much everything, then.
‘Do wonders’
Dobson said: “All of that experience really helps. I know the people, I know the systems and I know the interactions our customers have with our dealers.
“Peugeot is a brand on the up, retail is in growth, and we really want that to accelerate.
“Zero per cent will continue on 2008, 3008 and 5008 until the end of the year, petrol and pure electric. Bringing in Style (design-led entry models). Reaching out to our loyal customer base with incentives.
“It’s a combination of things that are starting to work and having stock around is crucial.
“You can have all of these great things but if you haven’t got the stock to fulfil the orders when the customers come in, then the confidence is going to disappear quickly.”
Next year, Peugeot will lean into its heritage by bringing back the famous GTi badge.
Hallelujah. I’m an Eighties kid and a 205 GTi was the dream. I could only afford an XS.
Dobson is buzzing too.
She said: “We’re really excited because 205 GTi and that feeling, that time, sits very fondly with people. It’s what they associate with Peugeot.
“The buzz when e-208 GTi was unveiled at Le Mans in June was tremendous and we’ll have it with us within a year.
“It will be a halo for 208 and it will do wonders for 208 but it’s going to do wonders for the brand as well.”
Will the rising tide of Chinese brands stop the Lion sleeping tonight? One in ten new cars last month was Chinese.
Dobson said: “I think we’ve got enough to compete. Clearly, it’s a competitive landscape but we’ve got a team of committed, engaged people within Peugeot who love the brand.
“We’ve got an engaged network, we’ve got after-sales support within that, we’ve got the logistics that’s been in place for many years, we’ve got loyal customers and we’ve got UK businesses that we have worked with for many years.
“There’s many things that we’ve got to compete with and it’s important that we do compete and continue to find a way through.”
