Aston Barclay will open a 78,000 square feet auction ‘super-centre’ in Wakefield on 28 January.
The site is set to host 15 dealer and fleet auctions per month and has the capacity to sell 50,000 used vehicles annually, contributing to Aston Barclay’s plan of doubling its group sales volume to 160,000 vehicles by 2022.
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Constructed on an 18-acre site a stone’s throw from the M1, M62 and A1, the super-centre features two glass-fronted auction halls, interactive screens and artificial intelligence (AI).
The vision is that its first-class transport links will help turn the Wakefield site into the ultimate destination for the local motor trade with leisure facilities, a gourmet restaurant, and meeting rooms freely available to use.
With fully lit, air-conditioned, dust-free internal storage for 200 cars and external parking for 2,500 cars, the facility will transform the buying and selling experience both physically and online.
A state-of-the-art inspection building complete with imaging bay and turntable has been built to capture each car’s condition when it arrives on site, while a full range of refurbishment services under the new Aston Barclay Enhanced brand will be offered to vendors and buyers.
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By GlobalDataAston Barclay will immediately transfer its current Leeds auction sales activity and its 40 staff to the Wakefield super-centre which will also become home to its Digital Solutions team and its group finance operation.
Wakefield will also become the head office for the newly acquired The Car Buying Group and its 30 staff which recently featured at number 20 in the 2018 Sunday Times Tech Track 100 list of fastest-growing private technology companies. The newly integrated Independent Motor Auctions, with its 20 staff, will also be located at the Wakefield super-centre.
Aston Barclay’s current six-acre Leeds auction, which is consistently voted as the UK’s top auction site by its customers, will be turned into a used LCV centre during Q1 2019.
Aston Barclay’s chief executive Neil Hodson said, “Wakefield is a game-changer for the remarketing sector and there is no other auction facility like it in Europe. We have created a five-star, dynamic environment filled with new technology which will be a great working environment for our buyers, vendors and colleagues alike.
“This further supports our ambition of becoming a digital business with industry leading physical fulfilment.”
The Wakefield development continues Aston Barclay group’s strategy of creating large regional auction hubs, rather than a large network of smaller centres.
