(AOF) – The Parot group, specialist in automobile distribution, publishes annual turnover for 2023 up 7% to 385.5 million euros and 11% on a comparable basis. In a growing market, and despite the pressures observed on prices, the group is performing thanks to a good level of deliveries of new vehicles and the resilience of its used vehicle and services activities. It confirms its favorable outlook for the year 2024.
It indicates that the first months of the year confirm the very good dynamics of the VO and Services activities of the two business divisions VP (private vehicles) and VC (commercial vehicles) of the Parot group, “historically driving growth and very strongly contributing to the profitability of the consolidated whole.
AOF – LEARN MORE
Learn more about the specialty distribution industry
Concerns remain
According to the Federation of Specialized Trade, Procos, in October 2022, activity fell by 1.5% year-on-year. However, the activity of beauty and health (+ 5.2%) and specialized food (+ 3.5%) are dynamic compared to October 2021. Attendance at points of sale was very impacted by the problems fuel and unfavorable weather. Compared to October 2019, a pre-covid year, the drop in attendance is very sharp (-20.9% in October). Shopping centers and the outskirts are more impacted than city centers with a gap of four to five points.
There are several reasons for concern for the future. The players are experiencing a very significant jaws effect given the increase in their operating costs while the evolution of demand is very uncertain. Very few brands can pass on the increase in their costs in sales prices. The federation therefore asks, among other things, to limit the indexation of the Commercial Rent Index to + 3.5% for the rents of all companies in 2023. It also invokes an absolute emergency: cap the price of energy for 2023 and retroact on contracts already signed to prevent the rate of failures from accelerating.