Manheim announced today during the NADA Convention and Expo in San Francisco it has created a new wholesale-to-retail vehicle solution for dealers, as well as revealing a new partnership with Hendrick Automotive Group to create a multi-lane auction operation in North Carolina.
The new wholesale-to-retail vehicle solution, which the company said was created with dealer input, allows customers to select from six modular services that support their end-to-end remarketing activities. These include vehicle inventory identification, acquisition, inspection and reconditioning, merchandising and transportation.
“As used vehicle retail operations become a larger part of a dealership’s business mix, handling the many time-consuming activities associated with this process may pull focus from selling,” said Janet Barnard, Manheim North America president. “With Manheim’s new wholesale-to-retail solution, dealers can secure a variety of remarketing options via a single provider, making every aspect of the used vehicle retail process easier.”
The aforementioned approach was beta tested for almost a year at Manheim Denver with success, and takes advantage of Cox Automotive’s market intelligence and historical sales performance knowledge, as well as Manheim’s physical and digital channels.
The new wholesale-to-retail vehicle solution will be expanding at Manheim Denver and will be offered later this year at additional Manheim locations.
Using the new wholesale-to-retail solution, Manheim said dealers will benefit from the following:
- Identify the vehicle types that will perform well for their location
- Order vehicle inventory efficiently
- Secure all-in-one pricing with reconditioning and delivery
- Manheim facilitates providing lot space as increased volume is needed
- Units ready for sale at time of delivery, saving floor plan costs
- Augments current retail reconditioning, allowing more units to be frontline ready faster
- Inventory management techniques and merchandising, from acquisition to digital formats
Manheim’s New Partnership With Hendrick Automotive Group
In other news coming out of the auction giant at the NADA convention, Manheim also announced it has partnered with Hendrick Automotive Group to create a multi-lane auction operation in North Carolina.
In an effort to create a more efficient way for the dealer group to source and remarket vehicles from their 26 dealerships in Charlotte, Manheim established Manheim Charlotte, an onsite auction operation at a Hendrick Automotive Group dealership in Concord, N.C.
The facility is a four-lane retrofitted operation that opened earlier this month.
The company explained it takes advantage of Manheim technology and staffing such as Simulcast, auctioneers, auction block support and full-time employees.
This is the second auction operation that Manheim has created for Hendrick Automotive Group; the first one opened last year in Charleston, S.C.
“When we look for better ways to source more used cars and create more efficient remarketing strategies, we look to Manheim,” said Chris Little, Hendrick Automotive Group’s vice president of variable operations. “Our deep collaboration and partnership is generating the type of solutions we need to grow and better compete.”
Manheim Charlotte — formerly Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Concord, which has moved to Hendrick Auto Mall Concord — hosts weekly Wednesday sales that are open to registered dealers.
Manheim Charlotte held its first grand opening sale on Jan.7 with quite a turnout. The sales was attended by nearly 600 dealers who bought 86 percent of the 508 vehicles offered for sale.
“When a key customer such as Hendrick Automotive shares its future vision and business goals with us, it allows us to explore a variety of new and different possibilities,” said Susie Heins, Manheim’s vice president of dealer sales. “Manheim Charlotte is the direct result of how deep collaboration between our companies can deliver win-win results.”
AutoStar Solutions announced at the end of December that its AutoStar Fusion dealer management system has completed its integration with DealerSocket’s customer relationship management software.
The two-way integration allows dealers to automatically and securely share 27 distinct pieces of vehicle, sales and customer information between the systems, dramatically reducing the need for data entry via instant updates.
Allen Dobbins, AutoStar’s president, believes the integration goes to great lengths to streamline the data entry process.
“We’re excited to announce yet another integration that will save dealers the two things they need most: time and money,” Dobbins said. “Prior to this partnership, the only way to share information between our Fusion DMS and DealerSocket’s CRM was manually re-entering the data. Our dealers needed a better, more efficient way to make updates in real time. Now it’s one click of a button. Couldn’t be any easier.”
The integration of DealerSocket CRM and AutoStar Fusion DMS allows dealers to instantly send buyer, cobuyer and cosigner info directly from the CRM to the DMS. Completed residence and employer information for each contact already in the system is also sent, further assisting in eliminating the time of duplicate data entry. AutoStar automatically syncs inventory and sales information data between the two programs every night.
“More than 92 percent of our customers already access DealerSocket CRM with a tablet or smartphone,” said Peter Ord, DealerSocket’s national sales director. “These users can enter customer data into their mobile device while standing on the lot with a customer. And now, thanks to this integration, they can push that information to AutoStar’s Fusion DMS with one click. It will expedite the sales process and get the customer driving off in his or her new vehicle faster than ever.”
Reynolds and Reynolds announced another successful year for its annual Bike Build program for three of its locations in Ohio and Texas earlier this month.
Company associates and their families got together on Dec. 6 to assemble nearly 300 new bicycles to use as Christmas gifts for military service family members.
Ron Lamb, president of Reynolds and Reynolds, believes the yearly bike build is one of the highlights of the holiday season for the company.
“The Bike Build is a great way to brighten the holidays of military families and one more way to pay tribute to their service,” Lamb said. “The annual Bike Build is also an opportunity for all of us at Reynolds to give back and to involve our children in the spirit of giving for other children.”
Launched in 2007, the Reynolds Bike Build, with employees and families involved, have built over 1,000 bikes for the children of military families during the Christmas holiday seasons. This year, the Dayton, Ohio location assembled 93 bikes, the College Station, Texas location built 100, as well as another 100 built by employees and families at the Houston location, all going to their respective nearby military facilities.
The bikes range in size from tricycles and 12-inch bicycles with training wheels to 26-inch multi-speed configured models.
“A common bond that Reynolds associates share is a spirit of giving and reaching out to others,” Lamb said. “The Bike Build is one more way to strengthen that bond and give back to the families of those who serve.”
Manheim officially announced today a selective partnership with the DriveTime Automotive Group that will make the auction company the exclusive remarketer for DriveTime’s inventory.
Susie Heins, vice president, major dealers at Manheim, took the time to speak with Auto Remarketing to outline her company’s excitement for the new arrangement.
“DriveTime, which is the largest subprime dealer in the United States, has selected Manheim as their exclusive remarketing partner,” Heins said. “What that means is all the inventory that DriveTime sells in the marketplace, wholesale, will now come either to a Manheim facility or to one of our auction companies named Go Auto Exchange, as well. It brings it to close to 30 locations between the two companies that they will be sending all of their inventory.”
In addition to Manheim locations all over the country, Go Auto Exchange features locations in key areas such as Atlanta, Phoenix, Houston and Orlando.
“The biggest benefit for DriveTime, obviously, is that they’ve got multiple places to drive inventory, at multiple marketplaces, as well as to multiple types of buyers,” Heins said. “But they’re also able to offer financing and take advantage of all the wholesale expertise that Manheim is able to bring to them.”
Heins hopes the evolution of their relationship will allow the two companies to simplify and strengthen each other’s business goals.
“We’re really, really excited,” Heins said. “They’ve been terrific to work with over the years, and this is just one more confidence in Manheim in being able to select us, and it really enables them to drive and sell inventory at multiple locations. But it also frees both of us up to really look at other projects we want to work on that’s going to further their business, as well. They’ve been great to work with — Ray Fidel (president and chief executive officer of DriveTime) and his team is awesome.”
Those shopping for a Hyundai in Houston this weekend may be surprised by what they find at Humble Hyundai and North Freeway Hyundai. Edmunds.com’s car buying experts will be at the two dealerships Friday and Saturday to “take over” the showrooms and offer an “unprecedented shopping experience.”
The two dealerships will feature the Edmunds.com Price Promise service, allowing every new car in stock to be available at “guaranteed upfront prices,” which, according to Edmunds.com, will be set at or below Edmunds’ True Market Value prices. The experts will be on site to answer shoppers’ questions and provide advisement.
“We put extra emphasis on customer service and, by inviting Edmunds.com into our store, we hope to give our customers the best car buying experience they’ve ever had,” said Paul Peebles, North Freeway Hyundai’s owner and president.
“With the trust and expertise of Edmunds.com guiding them through the process, we expect to get more customers on their way to celebrating the holiday season in a brand new Hyundai,” said Karl Krell, Humble Hyundai’s general manager.
According to the company, its Price Promise program was created to give shoppers a “convenient and reliable way to know exactly what price they’ll pay at the dealership,” solving an issue that, according to a company survey, revealed that the biggest need left unmet for car shoppers was getting an actual price for a car.
“This weekend’s ‘takeover’ is just one of many initiatives we have underway to help car shoppers feel good about their new car purchase,” said Seth Berkowitz, president of Edmunds.com. “We’re excited to partner with forward-thinking dealerships like Humble Hyundai and North Freeway Hyundai who share our goals to continue building a better car shopping experience.”
The event will last between 9 a.m. (CT) and 9 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
The Motor Vehicle Software Corporation announced this week that its e-filing system, DMVdesk, has been licensed exclusively by the California New Car Dealers Association as the preferred registration solution for new-vehicle dealers in the Golden State.
MVSC will also work alongside the CNCDA — the largest state association of franchised dealers — and its members on issues such as registration training, new technologies and continued industry modernization.
“Selecting MVSC’s DMVdesk as CNCDA’s e-filing solution partner wasn’t difficult,” Brian Maas, CNCDA’s president, said. “In a short period of time they have become the number one registration solution provider for good reason. Following a comprehensive evaluation of all providers in the market, it became clear why an increasing number of our dealers are choosing DMVdesk’s innovative technologies and comprehensive support system. MVSC’s commitment to serving dealers’ interests will take our partnership to a new level. They also have the expertise and presence in Sacramento to be a powerful ally in our legislative advocacy work.”
John Brueggeman, MVSC’s executive vice president, believes DMVdesk’s rapid gains in market share, including its advanced vehicle registration solution focused on streamlining operations between the California DMV and dealerships, will prove valuable to the CNCDA.
“By become true partners with our dealers and the DMV, we’ve been able to help them work more effectively with each other,” Brueggeman said. “In partnership with CNCDA, we look forward to leveraging our skills to strengthen the public/private partnership model and using our extensive legislative contacts and experience to support dealers on initiatives that will create efficiencies throughout the dealership.”
The partnership will also include a collaboration between DMVdesk and the CNCDA on the latter’s Registration Management Professional (RMP) courses – which will deliver, in 2015, more than 160 registration management courses to dealership registration professionals, offering comprehensive and up-to-date information on the DMV’s processes, news and regulations.
The Costco Auto Program announced early this week the top brands requested in the month of October by Costco members.
So who came in at No. 1 last month?
Costco said that General Motors’ brands overtook both Toyota and Honda, following the commencement of the Costco GM Holiday Sales Event, which started Oct. 1 and runs through Jan. 2. This promoties a special offer available for 17 select 2014 and 2015 models at GM Supplier Pricing and additional benefits, including all qualifying manufacturer rebates and incentives, and either a $600 Costco Cash Card for Executive Members or a $400 Costco Cash Card for Gold Star and Business Members, for completing certain eligibility requirements.
“Taking the No. 1 spot as the most-requested brand by Costco members confirms that we made the right decision in partnering with the Costco Auto Program to offer the Costco GM Holiday Sales Event,” said James Bell, GM’s head of consumer affairs. “Together, we were able to collaborate on a unique savings opportunity, featuring a diverse vehicle selection, GM Supplier Pricing and a Costco Cash Card offer that members find valuable during the holiday season. We’re excited to be a part of it.”
The promotion saw a 33-percent increase over the same first 30 days last year, bringing in over 17,000 Costco members registered for the event. The four largest increases in average daily requests, according to the program, were for trucks, SUVs and luxury models, with the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and GMC Acadia rounding out the top three most-requested vehicles. The following three top most-requested vehicles for the month were also GM products.
Experian Automotive announced early this week its partnership with Headline, an automotive data and software technology company. The pair will work together to provide the automotive industry with a more complete view of the vehicles currently in operation around the world through the combination of Experian Automotive’s AutoCount Vehicles in Operation database and Headline’s AutoStats4All.
The vehicle information that users will have access to covers more than 70 countries and six regions, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania.
“The automotive industry is growing at such an accelerated pace that it is imperative for automotive companies to have more than just a glimpse of the vehicle markets in a few select countries,” Brad Smith, Experian Automotive’s director of automotive market statistics, said. “It’s the cornerstone of why we began our relationship with Headline. By providing global vehicle registration data, we’re able to help automotive-focused organizations understand the entire vehicle market and create actionable insights that can be used to identify potential growth opportunities across international borders.”
Experian Automotive’s AutoCount Vehicles in Operation database contains info on more than 315 million vehicles on the road today in North America. AutoStats4All’s database widens that exposure with info on more than a billion light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across six regions and 70 countries around the world.
“By working with Experian, we’re able to paint a more complete picture for our clients of how the global vehicle market is constructed,” Angelo van Hooren, Headline’s director of marketing and sales, said. “We’re confident that not only did we fill in the blanks for our clients, but that they will be able to help expand their business and improve profitability.”
Experian Automotive will be demonstrating these new global capabilities at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo this week in Las Vegas.
DriveChicago.com and Automotive Internet Media have partnered up to assist its dealer members to increase their exposure to automotive customers.
Tony French, AIM’s president, believes the partnership will help drive traffic toward the inventory, dealerships and brands that their dealer members possess.
“Automotive portals are fantastic for helping auto shoppers find vehicles,” French said. “DriveChicago.com is terrific for Chicagoland auto shoppers because they can see every dealership’s inventory without going back and forth between other sites.”
Prior to now, the DriveChicago.com website functioned like this: when customers modified searches based on vehicle preference and clicked a specific vehicle, a DriveChicago.com vehicle detail page would render. Now, that click will direct customers directly to the specific inventory page on the dealer’s website.
The program is designed to increase the level of trust between customer and dealer, the former which has a growing reluctance to submit their personal information to a third party. Dealer members who utilize this service are charged a small fee for every customer that is sent to their vehicle detail page.
“This program is a winner for our dealer members, and a winner for DriveChicago.com,” Dave Sloan, the president of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, said. “Our dealers are getting great traffic directly to their website at a cost lower than market value, and at the same time they are reinvesting in more marketing to be spent on DriveChicago.com to provide them even more in-market customers. This marketing program will provide dealers with more options on how they reach Chicagoland auto shoppers.”
Video marketing provider Flick Fusion has announced the release of InstaVid, an automated video-production service. For dealers with video-producing needs, InstaVid is designed to instantly create and distribute video of dealer inventory.
Brian Cox, the president and chief executive officer of Flick Fusion, commented on the swift nature of the tool.
“InstaVid helps dealers move metal faster,” Cox said. “Within hours of a vehicle arriving on a lot, dealers can have videos of that vehicle all over the Internet, generating immediate video SEO. Why wait days to market your inventory when you can begin to attract video views and website visitors instantly?”
The program automatically generates a stock-photo video when a VIN is entered into a dealer’s DMS, featuring a professional voice-over and dealership-specific advertising specials via banners. Each video is VIN-specific, and keywords are added prior to being uploaded to YouTube and other third-party inventory listings.
Dealer photos and videos, once uploaded into inventory feeds, will automatically be update to the videos by InstaVid and replace stock photos. If a dealer decides not to update the photos, the stock photos will remain with the video as long as the vehicle is on the lot.
