Renault restructures as it plots return to fleet top 10

Date: 12 February 2010   |   Author:

Darren Payne is fleet boss at Renault

Renault has restructured its corporate sales department as it looks to bounce back to the upper reaches of the fleet sales chart following a decline in recent years that has seen it slip to 12th spot.

"Our overall strategy as an organisation is to achieve 5% market share in the UK, and to get to that we've got to achieve in both the fleet and retail sectors," Renault fleet and commercial vehicle operations director Darren Payne told BusinessCar. "In recognition of our ambition and the growth needed this year, we're already restructured the fleet sales team," he said.

Renault is targeting a fleet market share of 4%-5% by the end of 2010, compared to the 2.6% achieved in 2009. "If you look at our performance in the last quarter of 2009 and January, we're at those levels," said Payne. "It's my job to keep us at those levels. Beyond this year we've got longer-term plans but at the moment that's ambitious enough."

Renault has reshuffled its fleet department personnel to target two key areas. The large 200+ fleets is a "major focus" of concentration for the French brand. However, as of the beginning of 2010 it has redeployed part of the fleet department to launch an attack on the SME market, bringing an area that had traditionally been left to dealer fleet teams under manufacturer control. "It should significantly increase our presence in the market," said Payne. Dealers will still prospect and be able to offer terms through Renault Business Finance, provided and operated since the turn of the year by leasing firm Arval, but where SMEs have a fleet policy in place, Renault's SME team will deal with them.

Regarding the large 200+ fleets, Payne claimed Renault now has "more energy" behind key account business. "We're starting to drive more business; lots of accounts are talking to us," he said. "The most important job this year is to keep talking to customers and winning new business - we're open for business and the key aim is to win new accounts for Renault."

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