According to a new study, the average car dealership could generate an extra $106,000 each year in profit, by improving the customer experience. Maritz Research this week released the results of its Automotive Customer Experience Payback Study, which measures the financial returns of a positive car-buying experience. The study found that said the average dealership […] [Read More]

As evidenced by the August new-vehicle sales performance at AutoNation stores, import badges helped in pushing the highest sales level in five years. In fact, the American International Automobile Dealers Association highlighted that foreign brands accounted for 54.7 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States last month — the highest since 2007. Furthermore, […] [Read More]

Last month was the strongest August ever for the certified pre-owned market, according to Autodata Corp., and a quartet of brands posted their best-ever CPO sales. The firm said this morning that there were 160,206 CPO sales during the month, which marked a 9.6-percent year-over-year increase and a 6.1-percent jump from July. Through eight months, […] [Read More]

Used-vehicle sales improved 1.5 percent year-over-year in August, according to CNW Research, which said today there were 3.87 million used units sold during the month. Franchised dealers, in particular,  increased their used sales 3.3 percent, as they moved 1.48 million units. And early indications are that certified pre-owned sales fared well for many of these franchised […] [Read More]

It was recently announced that Nissan North America has partnered with BankPlus to award a series of educational grants to local schools in Mississippi. The grants totaled more than $77,000. The program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, “distributed 68 grants supporting classroom projects that will be conducted during the 2012–2013 school year in […] [Read More]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac that hit the Gulf Coast just last week, Group 1 Automotive said it is looking into damage to 12 of its coastal dealerships after the storm. The company — which recently came in at No. 6 on Auto Remarketing’s Top 125 Used-Car Dealer Groups list — noted preliminary assessments […] [Read More]

Jan. 1 might be more important to California buy-here, pay-here dealers than it just being the first day of 2013. It also could be the day three bills now sitting on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk become laws that significantly change the industry in the Golden State. As the state legislature wound down its current session […] [Read More]

A strong month for new-car sales evidently will take a toll on the August used-vehicle sales performance if the projections from Edmunds.com  come to fruition. The site expects this month’s used sales level to soften slightly from July’s figure, estimating the total amount of transactions at franchised and independent stores as well as private-party deals […] [Read More]

As dealers prepare for what many hope will be a busy Labor Day weekend on the lots, stores are ramping up holiday sales left and right. And for two Las Vegas dealerships, their staff is taking a bit of an unconventional approach. Two Chapman Las Vegas dealerships are partnering for what they are calling a […] [Read More]

Dealers know the importance of customer follow-up. Now, they can tap into a new call service designed to improve the follow-up process, from sales to service. The Reynolds and Reynolds Co., on behalf of its Virtual Customer Care Center, this week announced the addition of several new follow-up call services that the company says are designed to […] [Read More]