Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer.

Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer. Our look at the hard-working community that keeps Britain moving.

The confidence and optimism of Britain’s van drivers, owners and operators has taken a knock – there’s now a mixed outlook from behind the wheel. The Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer reveals congestion as a ‘key barrier to growth’, with businesses losing 6 hours a week to gridlock.

Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer September 2017

566

British businesses are losing as much as 6 hours a week to gridlock, according to the van drivers, owners and operators responsible for keeping the wheels of those businesses moving.

155

Delivery drivers

Service engineers

2,000

van drivers, owners, operators were independently surveyed

The Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer report has revealed the views of a vital yet often forgotten lynchpin of British business, both big and small – the nation’s van drivers, delivery professionals and van operators. The phased study – which began in April and featured benchmarked quarterly data for the very first time – shows a dip in both business confidence and career optimism levels since the June election. An independent sample of 2,000 van drivers, owners, operators and fleet managers – including everyone from tradespeople and service engineers to delivery drivers and entrepreneurs – were asked about their business growth expectations, career goals, challenges and barriers to growth that they face. The results are somewhat surprising…

709

Respondents come from key industry sectors including

Construction

Trades people

Business owners

199

431

399

Manufacturing

416

Transport & logistics

120

Utilities & telecoms

466 Retail

A knock in confidence:


The new Business Barometer reveals a mixed outlook from behind the wheel.

Though the majority (87%) of the van driving and owning community canvassed in the Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer are confident their business will grow rather than shrink over the next year, the figure represents a 3% fall between April and August – with both the General Election and Brexit negotiations casting uncertainty over the wider economy in between. Confidence peaks amongst London’s van drivers, owners and operators – where 92% are forecasting growth – but this falls sharply across the UK to 82% in the East of England and 83% in the North East, Wales and Scotland.

87%

of van drivers are confident their business will grow

83%

in the North East, Wales and Scotland forecast growth

82%

in the East of England forecast growth

92%

However, the overall figure represents a

3%

fall between April and August

in London forecast growth

In the first phase of the Business Barometer, growth confidence peaked in the North East with 97% feeling good about business growth, but this has now fallen considerably. Across the professions, confidence is weakest amongst tradespeople with 86% expecting to see growth over the next 12 months. The outlook is by no means gloomy, however. 47% are looking to up-staff, more than half say they will be investing in more vans over the next year, and 44% say their organisation will become more reliant on vans in the next 12 months as the trend towards online shopping, quicker delivery windows and a shift away from heavier goods vehicles continues.

The General Election and Brexit cast uncertainty over the wider economy

47%

of van drivers are looking to up-staff

It’s not all doom and gloom:

44%

say their business will become more reliant on vans in the next 12 months

More than half say they will be investing in more vans over the next year


Congestion: “A key barrier to growth”

As part of the Business Barometer report, a substantial 30% of van drivers, owners and operators said that congestion could prevent business growth – with delivery businesses specifically noting a loss of around 15% of their working hours due to gridlock.

Delivery businesses lose

of their working hours to gridlock

With Light Commercial Vehicles travelling a record 48.5 billion miles on the UK’s roads last year according to the Department for Transport (DoT), the Business Barometer shines a light not only on the views of van drivers and owners for the first time, but also why they matter when businesses and consumers are relying on the humble van more than ever before.

30%

of van drivers, owners and operators said that congestion could prevent business growth

Light Commercial Vehicles travelled a record 48.5 billion miles on the UK’s roads last year

The Mercedes-Benz Vans Business Barometer is a nationwide quarterly survey of businesses large and small, created to help us understand the economic landscape and discover what van owners and drivers need to keep their business moving. We want to understand the issues that keep our customers awake at night. The challenges and opportunities they face. The kind of support they need – and why. Each quarter, we explore and analyse key business issues that impact our customers directly and monitor how these may or may not change over time. All of our studies represent an authoritative, independent and unique look at the diverse and hard-working van driving and owning community that keeps Britain moving.

Keeping businesses moving. www.mbvans.co.uk Release date: 29 September 2017 Contact: Caroline Burnell, 07876 217056 About Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd: Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd is the sales and marketing organisation responsible for all Daimler Van products and services in Britain. In 2016, Mercedes-Benz Vans celebrated its best ever year in the UK, with 36,952 vehicles registered – a seventh consecutive year of growth. The team at Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd have a combined 1,031 years of service with the brand, averaging more than 10 years direct experience with the brand each. The nationwide Dealer network of 116 sites employs more than 4,000 colleagues.