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Preston car dealership to prioritise staff wellbeing with six-day opening trial

Posted on - 17th May, 2023 - 7:00pm | Author - | Posted in - Ashton-on-Ribble, Business, People, Preston Docks, Preston News
BMW Motorrad - the Bowker Motor Group at Preston Docks Pic Tony Worrall

Bowker BMW and MINI showrooms in Preston are closed on Sundays as of 14 May.

The firm says the decision to open six days a week instead of seven will provide employees with extra leisure time with families and friends.

While customers cannot physically visit Bowker BMW and MINI retail centres on Sundays, the Lancashire car dealerships’ online showroom will still be available to view.

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Chris Eccles, sales director, said: “We’ve seen significant changes in customer habits since the Covid lockdown. New working patterns also mean that customers have more flexibility when they visit. Higher footfall during the week bears this out. 

“Having spoken to customers and staff, we are happy that we can maintain our excellent retail service over six days instead of seven. Our online retail experience via the Bowker website will remain available 24 hours a day and seven days a week as usual.”

The introduction of a six-day opening week at Bowker BMW and MINI centres represents a step towards a healthier workplace culture for retail workers.

Chris added: “Our decision to close on Sundays also prioritises the wellbeing of Bowker BMW and MINI employees. This is important. We want our employees to enjoy an excellent work-life balance. More leisure time will mean happier staff, better performance, and stronger loyalty to our business.”

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Bowker predicts that savings in heating and lighting the centres will reduce the family-owned business’s carbon footprint. This follows the automotive dealerships’ continued focus on sustainability. 

Earlier this year, Bowker won the first-ever BMW UK Sustainability Award.

Last month, Bowker installed 1,600 new solar panels across their dealership roofs. The new panels will allow the car centres to generate a quarter of their electricity from solar energy and reduce their carbon footprint by 130 tonnes.

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