Press
Mercedes-Benz has conducted a review of its company-owned car dealerships and decided to divest some of the branches.
In the future it will also be possible to visit a car dealership, look at a Mercedes and purchase it directly. However, the respective branch could then no longer belong directly to Mercedes-Benz. The company intends to sell its so-called “own retail operations”, i.e. the company-owned car dealerships in Germany. Mercedes Benz recently recalled 75,000 carsbecause there is a risk of fire, like NEXTG.tv reported.
Mercedes plans to sell its car dealerships, affecting approximately 8,000 jobs
Mercedes-Benz emphasizes the central importance of physical retail for the company's success and strives to offer the optimal customer experience even in the digital and electromobile age. This includes continuous optimization of traditional sales structures. A spokesman told wa.de that selling the car dealerships appears to be advantageous from an economic perspective.
As early as February 2024, employees had expressed their dissatisfaction with possible sales plans and there were protests from the workforce. Initially there was only talk of an examination of the sales intentions, but now a decision to sell has been made, which was first reported by Bild. This could once again cause resistance among employees, with the works council and the IG Metall union expected to comment on March 13th.
Mercedes-Benz AG aims to secure long-term sales success. The spokesman added that after successful experiences in other European markets, Germany is now also examining how the group's own branches can be made more independent. The company does not rule out sales to experienced and renowned dealer groups. This should not have any negative impact on consumers.
Mercedes-Benz takes a close look at all its own retail operations
The review of sales intentions for Mercedes-Benz's company-owned car dealerships is carried out in an open-ended manner and in stages, with each branch being viewed individually and taking into account its specific circumstances. This affects all of the company’s “own retail operations” in Germany, both in rural and urban areas.
According to information from wa.de, the works council has invited works meetings across the country on Wednesday, March 13th to inform the workforce about the current sales plans. These plans could affect around 8,000 employees in around 80 companies, including six branches with around 2,100 employees in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. Mercedes nevertheless assures that the affected employees have nothing to fear. Also Amazon recently reduced staff by 35% in its subsidiary Twitch.
Mercedes-Benz does not want to lay off any employees
Mercedes-Benz reiterates its commitment to social responsibility and assures that there will be no layoffs as a result of a possible restructuring. Rather, the company aims to ensure the sustainability of regional jobs as well as the stability and competitiveness of the branches in the long term. Mercedes-Benz plans to actively involve employee representatives in the review process and reiterates its commitment to “Securing the Future 2029,” a program that guarantees job security for all collective bargaining employees.
The company has not yet decided on potential buyers or has not commented specifically. When selling, the principle of “best ownership” is crucial, with criteria such as proven expertise in the automotive trade, sustained willingness to invest, a long-term entrepreneurial concept, economic strength and a positive attitude towards employee representatives being of particular importance. The spokesman emphasizes that there are no plans to sell to pure financial investors and that closing locations is not up for debate. Also Snapchat recently reduced staff by 10%following a recall of its drones and ongoing challenges in the advertising market.
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