Lookers is bucking new cars slide

The squeeze on Britons' household budgets has left the UK's new car sales in the doldrums, but dealership Lookers is still doing all right.

That's the verdict from its trading update today, when Lookers points out the UK new car market shrank by 5% in the nine months to October, but its sales were 2% higher in the period.

The better numbers were mainly thanks to fleet deals, where volumes were up 30%, since consumer car sales plunged 10%.

Lookers added that sales in September, a critical month thanks to the launch of new registration plates, were "satisfactory".

The dealership group, which sells marques including Ford, Volkswagen, Lexus and Jaguar, added: "Car markets continue to be affected by consumer confidence.

"However, the after-sales bias to the business...demonstrates the ability of the group to perform well in a difficult market."