In this tight used supply environment, creating loyal, repeat customers can be extremely pivotal for a dealership, as trade-ins have been highly sought-after. That said, a Maritz research study shows that many dealers have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to retaining open lines of communication with customers after they leave their […] [Read More]

In the latest online video in his series, “Hard Facts with Dennis Galbraith,” the chief marketing officer of Potratz Advertising offered advice not only to turn that inventory that’s getting long in the tooth, but also how to leverage the most out of those vehicles he said are “hotter than donut grease.” Galbraith began with […] [Read More]

Along with announcing the lineup of model year 2014 vehicles that will be tested as part of the agency’s 5-Star Safety Ratings Program, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration updated advertising guidelines for vehicle manufacturers, dealers and advertising agencies. The agency explained on Thursday the updated guidelines now explicitly state that ratings are always whole […] [Read More]

As a host of retailers are getting ready for the holiday shopping season filled with everything from huge televisions to those memorable Christmas sweaters, Paul Potratz asked dealers if they’re prepared to move some metal and more on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Along with tips about how long an entire campaign should last, the […] [Read More]

Autobytel revealed Wednesday it has chosen its Dealer of the Month for September, recognizing a store that opened its doors over a century ago in 1908. The company has given the honor to Tony Thorstad, Internet sales director of Smart Motors Toyota in Madison, Wisc. Thorstad joins Patti Scipione of M’Lady Nissan, Paul LeRose of […] [Read More]

The latest General Motors deal offered through the Costco Auto Program is turning consumers' heads, reaching record levels for the companies' partnership only two weeks into the offering. The companies recently revealed more than 2,000 Costco members had bought a vehicle in the first two weeks of its GM Limited-Time Offer. When compared to the […] [Read More]

DealerRater reviews and ratings are now being integrated with Kelley Blue Book’s newly enhanced new-car shopping experience. In making the recent announcement, DealerRater said KBB’s new-car online shopping experience, featuring car-pricing tool Price Advisor, helps create a more qualified consumer through pricing education, as well in-depth information about car dealerships. Price Advisor enables dealers to […] [Read More]

Pushed in part by opportunities from vehicle recalls and a sizeable gain in reconditioning work, Asbury Automotive Group’s third-quarter parts and service business was thriving. In fact, its same-store parts and service gross margins increased 2.7 percentage points year-over-year in the third quarter and came in at 60.9 percent. Asbury pulled in $91.7 million in […] [Read More]

Late last week, General Motors announced two separate recalls for late-model versions of the Chevrolet Malibu for two different issues. The automaker indicated it is recalling 42,696 Chevrolet Malibu sedans from the 2014 model year in the United States because the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, controls may not operate properly when the […] [Read More]

Kelley Blue Book this morning announced its 2014 brand and model-year vehicle winners of the annual Best Resale Value Awards, recognizing vehicles for their projected retained value through the initial five-year ownership period. Toyota and Lexus earned top honors for best brand and best luxury brand, and each had six segment winners from a total […] [Read More]