Digital buying in the wholesale space. Manheim says a great deal of discussion is taking place about that topic.

But Manheim Digital vice president Zach Hallowell says sellers need as many options as possible to liquidate inventory, as the wholesale market “continues its steady climb.”

“No matter what their disposition strategy is, consignors have convenient access to tools across the Manheim Marketplace that can help them generate much needed cash while staying safe,” Hallowell said in a news release.

The company says that when the remarketing industry transitioned to all-digital during COVID-19, that increased the importance of providing sellers with the ability to remotely manage their inventory.

Manheim said it was ready to help dealers keep their inventory moving. The company is doing that with various digital investments over the last few years.

Those investments included the creation of a Remote Seller tool, an enhanced Manheim.com Seller Center and additions to the Manheim Express app.

The company said Simulcast Remote Seller was important in making a smooth transition to all-digital sales. With the tool, consignors can rep their vehicles in real time from anywhere.

That allows them to stay actively involved in a live sale and at the same time keep their people safe.

As bids come in, consignors can click the “OK to Sell” button. That lets the block know when they’re ready to accept the highest bid. They can also reject offers at any time, propose counteroffers and send instant messages to all participants or just the clerk and auctioneer.

The Remote Block tool is complimentary to the Simulcast Remote Seller tool. With the Remote Block tool, Manheim’s block clerks can also operate remotely.

“Our sellers have told us that they value the convenience of being able rep their vehicles from anywhere, particularly in these times,” Hallowell said.

The all-new Manheim.com Selling Center is completely reimagined for 2020. With the selling center, Manheim says consignors have an advanced platform to optimize and execute their vehicle portfolio management across channels.

Also with the Selling Center, consignors get a snapshot of their overall inventory at a glance. With the introduction of new data points and inventory groupings, they can more quickly see inventory totals across channels.

The Selling Center also highlights listings that possibly need attention or action.

With recent enhancements to the Manheim Express app, dealers receive more information and control over their listed inventory. Manheim Express is designed for dealers wanting to wholesale vehicles right from their lots, and it provides listings with condition information, audio/video tags and 360-degree imaging.

The company says that can help buyers make informed decisions.

In addition, the company this year launched the new Manheim Express Overview tab for sellers. The tab  brings the Selling Center experience to the app.

That, according to Manheim, makes data points and account activity easily accessible. Dealers can list their vehicles themselves. Or, a dedicated expert from the Manheim Express Concierge force can perform the listing legwork and consult on pricing and strategy.

In addition, Manheim has extended through May its $0 sell fee for self-listed vehicles on Manheim Express.

The company describes that as “an added bonus for sellers.”

Sellers’ ability to efficiently manage their vehicles across digital platforms is important to boosting momentum in the wholesale space. Manheim says its development of new digital solutions, and its enhancement of new ones, will continue.

That, according to the company, can “help clients keep their businesses moving forward.”