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How one auction adapts to wholesale changes

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ADESA Toronto recently launched a new sale, dubbed, “2 O’Clock Tuesdays.”

This new weekly offering has replaced the auction's Monday night sales. Auction management shared the new Tuesday sale, together with the auction’s Wednesday morning sale, will offer over 2,500 vehicles within 24 hours every week.

The Tuesday afternoon sales will offer up to 450 vehicles, while up to 2,100 vehicles will be offered at Wednesday’s 9:30 a.m. sales.

The auction will also be offering free lunch every Tuesday for all in-lane attendees.

As for the reasoning behind the recent move, Richard Kennedy, who will be running the new ADESA Toronto Tuesday sales, took a look back at some macroeconomic factors.

Those in the wholesale industry are very aware of the impact of the 2008 financial downturn on the automotive business.

“Manufacturers and finance companies moved heavily into low interest rate long-term financing to offset the decline in their leasing portfolios,” said Kennedy. “This reduction in leasing and addition of long term financing, has resulted in consumers retaining their vehicles for longer periods of time. As a result, there is an increased supply of high quality, older-model-year vehicles and this has, in turn, created a viable market for aged, higher-mileage vehicles.”

As for how this plays into ADESA Toronto’s plans, Kennedy pointed out in a major metro market like Toronto, the volume of the aforementioned vehicles is “significant,” further noting that buyers and sellers can benefit from ADESA consolidating this inventory into a single auction event each week.

“We have found that there is a large contingent of dealers that cater to consumers in search of this type of product and with our relationships, services and incredible facility here, we are positioned very well to meet the needs of this market segment,” Kennedy said. “With ADESA’s continued focus on customer service and advancement of our technology, we are certain that this segment will see the same successes as our current offering. It will actually be a great compliment to our other sales.”

Growth and forward movement

Taking a broader look at ADESA Toronto’s recent growth, Kennedy explained over the past year, the auction has been working on providing “an exceptional sales venue for all of our sellers, regardless of the venue or channel.”

This manifests as increasing opportunities for physical auction events each week, as well as the auction’s multiple online offerings, including ADESA DealerBlock, where sellers’ inventory is available to buyers 24/7.

“The wholesale auction market is truly always open now and this is a huge win for our buyers as well, who can now source vast amounts of inventory when they need it,” said Kennedy.

On top of more sale opportunities, the auction is ramping up its facility, as well.

ADESA Canada chief operating officer, Trevor Henderson, shared with Auto Remarketing Canada that ADESA Toronto is approaching the completion of a major facility expansion.

Henderson said the expansion will drastically increase the auction’s capacity with additional storage and parking, as well as four new auction blocks.

“While we are most definitely very excited about this, our customers are equally excited.  Stay tuned for our grand opening announcement soon!” Henderson said.

 ADESA Toronto continues to grow, after launching back in 1996. The auction has evolved from its infancy of hosting auctions of 350-400 units each week to today offering weekly consignment sales of over 2,000 vehicles running across 16 auction blocks.

The key to ADESA Toronto’s growth over the years has been our consistent focus on building customer relationships and our seamless integration of best-in-class technology,” said Kennedy.

He pointed out a critical piece of this growth has been ADESA LiveBlock.

“This product has had the effect of bringing many more buyers into the market for vehicles offered at the auction. The combination of very strong online and in-lane buyer bases has definitely been a benefit to our selling customers,” said Kennedy. “We see almost half of vehicle sales attributed to online buyers and this includes significant purchases by dealers right across the country and into the U.S.”

The ever-changing auction biz

With the introduction of simulcast and online sales, such as ADESA Liveblock, the auction industry has changed dramatically over the past 20 years.

Today, online and mobile tools and services are readily assessable and prevalent, and will play a continued role in the evolution of the auction industry.

“These technologies have given dealers incredible access to pertinent information about inventory and valuation.  While this started with the traditional auction business, now, with a tool like TradeRev, our customers can even streamline their trade-in process to close more retail deals,” said Henderson. “We attribute the significant adoption of technology to the fact that it has allowed our selling and buying customers to make educated decisions and reduce the amount of guesswork in remarketing.”

In August 2014, it was announced by KAR Auction Services that its business unit ADESA acquired a 50-percent stake in Toronto-based Nth Gen Software and its online vehicle remarketing system, TradeRev.

Technology aside — which continues to shake up the auto business with new developments hitting the market right and left — Henderson also pointed out a few less obvious shifts in the auction market.

First, in the dealer space, Henderson explained the market is changing due to the growth of the large dealer groups.

“Consolidation and an increasing sophistication among these customers have an impact our products and services.  We continue to evolve to meet their needs and core to this is our commitment to building and maintaining relationships with these customers at multiple levels,” he shared.

Secondly, the vehicle mix has evolved over the past decade, as well. For example, looking back before the 2008 economic downturn, the wholesale lanes were dominated with vehicles stemming from off-lease portfolios.

“Following the adjustment from the decline in leasing during the financial crisis, we worked to bring more dealer consignment inventory into the market.  This has resulted in a significant shift in the mix of vehicles in most auctions,” Henderson said. “It is now comprised heavily of dealer consignment units, and we see an increasing volume of online transactions with these units as well.”

But with all these changes, Henderson said ADESA Canada still focuses on its core business.

“We exist to help our customers transact in the wholesale market in the most efficient manner possible. We are here to help sellers get their vehicles into the market quickly and help buyers find those vehicles easily,” said Henderson, adding that some of which occurs at the physical auction, while other transactions are done via an online channel.

 

Selectbidder announces real-time trade-in bid solution

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One auto tech company aims to make the auction a part of the trade-in process.

Selectbidder officially announced today its new platform for real-time bids on dealer trade-ins, aiming to connect auctions, dealers and dealer customers in a way to streamline the trade-in process.

Currently rolling out its platform to independent auctions across North America, the Selectbidder At-Trade platform has completed its testing phase at the Great Northern Auction in Moncton, New Brunswick, where it has been put to the test since the spring. GNA piloted the program with three dealers in April and moved the application into full deployment with its dealer network in May.

“Since implementing the Selectbidder At-Trade app, we’ve moved more units, had more touchpoints and brought more dealerships into the auction,” said David Wilson, the auction’s general manager.

So how does it work? According to the company, a selling dealer simply scans the VIN on a customer’s trade-in vehicle, takes photos and posts the images along with a quick condition report to the Selectbidder platform via the app or online. Select buying dealers in the auction’s network will then receive a notification, allowing for real-time bidding on the vehicle.

The goal is to help the selling dealer give a more accurate price to the trade-in customer, speeding up the process for everyone involved.

“Everyone wins with the Selectbidder platform,” said Sean Liptay, Selectbidder’s chief executive officer and GNA owner. “Auctions continue to do what they do best – connect buyers and sellers, while dealers know the true value of a trade-in and consumers feel treated fairly. With Selectbidder, auto auctions are able to use their strong, trusted network to offer what the industry now demands: efficiency, effectiveness and transparency.”

According to Kevin Berry, the key to the solution’s success is its auction-centric focus, maintaining the level of familiarity between dealer and auction relationships.

“Many auto wholesaling applications on the market now cut out auctions completely,” Berry said. “This is a mistake, as auto auctions remain the cornerstone of the wholesale process.”

For more information on Selectbidder, check out its site here.

TradeRev posts 100,000th vehicle; aims to grow in US

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Dealer-to-dealer auction system TradeRev announced it has reached an important milestone as well as what it is calling accelerated traction with dealers.

The company has posted its 100,000th vehicle to the TradeRev system, president and co-founder Mark Endras shared, who was also honored as a member of Auto Remarketing Canada’s inaugural class of “Remarketing’s 40 Under 40.”

TradeRev — founded in 2009 — leverages mobile technology to enable automotive dealers to do real-time auctions on vehicles as part of the vehicle trade-in appraisal process, as well as auction vehicles to other dealers directly from their dealership.

"Having experience as a car dealer, I saw a need for a mobile application that would revolutionize the vehicle appraisal and auction process in a convenient, user-friendly platform that can be used anytime, anywhere," said Endras. "We created the TradeRev solution with dealers in mind. Our mission is to help dealers increase their profitability by improving their trade-in process, close more retail deals and significantly reduce remarketing costs. We are proud of the success that TradeRev has achieved and are excited to share our innovative technology with our dealer partners across North America as we expand."

The company, with its roots in Canada, has grown rapidly. It has also begun expanding in the U.S. since ADESA, a business units of KAR Auction Services, acquired a 50-percent stake in the company last August.

The campany explained it is working on expanding its footprint in the dealer-to-dealer market across the U.S., as well, and currently does business with more than 3,000 dealers across North America.

Todd Fils, pre-owned director at Daytona Kia Mitsubishi, expressed his enthusiasm for the tool, noting how it has helped him “streamline” his processes.

"Using the TradeRev appraisal system properly can greatly streamline your trade-in process and assist your dealership in making deals happen," said Fils. "Since bringing the TradeRev system into our dealership, we have increased wholesale profit, cut transportation cost and reduced conventional auction fees. Customer service and assistance is second to none — this is a must for any dealership and will open your store up to a new audience of buyers."

Dean Howell, general sales manager at Taylor Ford in Waynesville, N.C., added,  "This is a great closing tool. It allows us to tell the customer the true value of their vehicle based on bids from hundreds of buyers in the local market, and it ultimately helps us sell more cars," said. "It also brings added convenience to the wholesale process — instead of spending time cleaning and transporting cars to auctions, my team can quickly sell inventory and arrange for the details to be taken care of through the TradeRev platform."

Canadian dealers navigate lucrative export market

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Canadian dealers, especially in some of the country’s largest markets, nowadays find themselves in an interesting situation. They can put in all the work associated with the retail sale of a vehicle in their inventory to someone in their market. Or they can take that same vehicle to auction and, oftentimes, get a comparable amount on the block to what they would have made as a retail sale.

This is a sign of the times, where the strength of the American dollar surges compared to the value of the loonie, faltering due to several economic factors. Regardless of the reasons behind the two currency’s values, it is an advantageous export market for U.S. dealers looking to source Canadian vehicles and bring them across the border while it’s also a reasonable option for Canadian dealers to separate themselves from stubborn inventory.

Josh Bailey, Canadian Black Book’s vice president of research and editorial, shared a story that perfectly represents the situation.

“We have heard plenty of anecdotes from dealers about exports,” Bailey said in an email correspondence in mid-June. “One example, a Canadian dealer took a 2009 GMC Sierra SLE crew-cab 4×4, with 110,000 km, pretty typical pick-up on trade. He put $15,000 into it, sold it to a Canadian wholesaler for $17,000, who in turn sold it to a USA wholesaler for US $19,000 or around $23,000 Canadian. Our field reps are also telling us weekly that there (are) plenty of U.S. buyers in the lanes at auctions and buying in-lane remotely.”

According to Bailey, this is a common occurrence in some of Canada’s biggest markets.

“This issue might be considered widespread,” Bailey said. “We tend to see exports happening mostly in easily accessed border towns — Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto — but those, of course, are Canada’s largest markets, and many Canadian dealers rely on those auctions for inventory regardless of their geographic area.”

The situation isn’t always favorable to Canadian dealers, however. With foreign buyers snagging vehicles at auction, it can put pressure on the supply climate in the country, which has already been facing supply issues in recent years.

Bailey says that Canadian dealers are all too familiar with the difficult supply situation.

“When it comes to finding inventory, dealers have become experts in sniffing out vehicles,” Bailey said. “The legacy of the low supply over the last few years is one of resourcefulness. Dealers who didn’t work hard to find inventory suffered, those who survived are, as I said, experts, not that it makes it any easier, though.”

Manheim Toronto to Aid Juravinski Hospital

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Manheim Toronto has announced its year-long fundraising plan to support the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.

The auction’s fundraising goal — $12,500 — will be supplemented by a company match to total a $25,000 contribution to the Juravinski Centre. The total represents the average cost required to purchase all of the equipment that typically fills a single patient room.

The Juravinski Centre hosts over 200,000 patients per year, representing the largest chemotherapy volume in Ontario with the region’s only radiation therapy program.

The auction will also play host to additional fundraisers, including the inaugural Ruth Hart-Stephens and Bob Beattie Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, May 29, in partnership with the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario, at the Lion Head Golf Club to support the Robert G. Beattie Memorial Scholarships.

Beginning in the fall, the scholarships honoring Beattie’s memory will be awarded annually to two students beginning their second year at the Automotive Business School of Canada at the Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. One scholarship will benefit a student enrolled in the diploma program; the other will go to a student enrolled in the degree program.

Manheim Toronto, located in Milton, Ontario, is one of 79 Manheim locations in North America. For more information, visit its website here.

Cox Automotive Canada Hire Part of Bigger Growth ‘Journey’

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Cox Automotive announced Tuesday a new hire, naming former Kia Canada executive Maria Soklis to the newly formed role of president of Cox Automotive Canada.

What does this mean for Cox Automotive’s growth and strategy in Canada going forward?

Joe George, senior vice president of Cox Automotive Strategy, and the exec that Soklis will be reporting to, told Auto Remarketing Canada the hire is just one step in a “long journey” of business growth in Canada.

“As we look at not only at our U.S. businesses, but also our global businesses, we want to look at partner countries in a way that is specific to their country, but also takes advantage of all of our assets and brands and products and people,” said George.

This strategy led to Soklis’ hire, as she offers a window into Canada’s dealer network, which George cited as the “most local manifestation you can have.”

Soklis' responsibilities will include servicing consumers, dealers, OEMs and commercial fleet customers, helping them evolve and be more successful.

Working with these types of clients is a field in which Soklis is well-versed. Her most recent role was as VP and chief operating officer at Kia Canada, and she has career experience with General Motors, as well.

“Maria has had a great career with two great companies, General Motors and Kia, and she is a dealer-focused executive that understands it’s about selling more cars for everybody. So she brings both a OEM perspective and a long track record of being effective with dealers, which for us is the important combination,” George said.

During Soklis’ tenure with the automaker, the company experienced significant growth, and she also established Kia Canada's corporate social responsibility platform and played a large role in Kia Canada's 'Drive Change' campaign.

Soklis’ primary focus as she takes on her new position will be growing Cox Automotive’s largest business in Canada — its Manheim auctions.

That said, Soklis will also be tasked with growing and expanding the company’s presence in Canada as a whole.

The new president will also be taking a look at “the overall opportunities related to Cox Automotive and helping continue to evolve our footprint and our strategy relative to our brands and products in Canada,” said George.

Cox Automotive is looking first to grow its services in and around inventory, which Manheim is a piece of, as well as NextGear Capital and the company’s HomeNet division.

George explained the strategy is to grow the different tools that allow auto industry participants to more efficiently and effectively optimize their used-car inventories.  

And as used supply remains tight, this is top-of-mind for many Canadian dealers.

“I think Canada is an important market for us, so you are going to see us driving forward in Canada. The one thing we want to make sure is that we drive forward in a way that makes sense for the Canadian market, which is similar, but not exactly the same as the U.S. market,” said George. “So we want to go where the opportunities are for the particular Canadian market and grow with the market and help make it more efficient and effective.”

“And we think Maria is the right leader to help make that happen,” he concluded.

Auction Prices Spike As Spring Selling Begins

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Wholesale prices were on the way up last month as the market got over the winter hump and the spring selling season began.

The Manheim Canada Used Vehicle Index was up by 2.5 points from March, rising to 113.4. This also is 10.5 points higher than levels seen in April 2014.

Every vehicle segment showed a spike in prices this past month, except for the vans, which fell by 2.6 points, and pickups, which were down by two.

As weather warms, the sports car segment saw the biggest price spike last month, rising by 11 points on the Manheim index.

Full-size vehicles also saw a large jump, spiking by 6.1 points.

Compact cars rose by 4.5 points in April, while midsize cars were up 3.9 points.

SUVs gained 2.4 points on the index, while luxury cars were up 1 point.

Though many in the industry are expecting used supply to expand a bit this year, and hopefully push wholesale prices down to more normal levels, a true trend change may not be in the cards quite yet.

Josh Bailey, editorial director at Canadian Black Book, pointed out in an interview with Auto Remarketing Canada this year will most likely present a “theoretical increase in supply,” meaning many auction attendees won’t get a chance at the extra vehicles coming through the wholesale pipeline.

Looking at where prices stand today is key, Bailey said, since residuals have fared much better than originally expected, especially for 4-year lease vehicles, “the bulk of the used market.”

“The forecasts were originally much lower than what the market price is today. So, the reason I think it is a theoretical increase in supply is that the dealers and the lessees are likely going to buy these cars before they hit the auction,” Bailey said. “If there is equity in the vehicles, then someone is likely to take it before it makes it to auction.”

 

3 Factors Behind Dealer-To-Dealer Online Marketplace Adoption

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At last week’s Auto Remarketing Canada Conference, dealer-to-dealer auctions were a hot topic as new marketplaces have been popping up right and left, providing more wholesale options for buyers.

After a dealer-to-dealer marketplace focused panel, Auto Remarketing Canada caught up with Cheryl Munce, chief executive consultant at ALTESO, to shed some light on the factors behind the growth in this sector of the market and what it means for dealers and wholesalers.

As to what has spurred the dealer-to-dealer online auction business forward so rapidly — after the launch of popular peer-to-peer marketplace TradeRev in 2009 — convenience is key.

Munce pointed out that auction rates will go up and down, but what stays the same is the value of time.

“To dealers, time is money, and dealer-to-dealer online auctions allow them to spend as little time away from the store as possible,” Munce said.

Dealers also don’t want to miss a market opportunity, so many are following their peers to these new marketplaces as good reviews are shared and news of a more convenient wholesale option travels.

Munce also noted we have to look at the younger population in remarketing to get the full-picture view.

“I believe as the millennial generations are coming into the business, and I look around (at the Auto Remarketing Canada Conference) and there are a lot more younger people now. They want instant gratification … and no relationships — they don’t really care as much about those relationships made in the auction lanes,” Munce explained.

There are also many obvious advantages to using these online marketplaces, such as utilizing options like preferred groups.

In a preferred, closed group, “you know who the dealer/partners are who you are trading with, unlike an auction that is open up to any and all dealers,” said Munce.

“And the dealers, by nature, are skeptics, and they are very competitive and they only want to deal with people that they like and that they trust. So I think that is one ace in the hole for these dealer-to-dealer platforms. It is a trusted network,” she continued.

With dealer-to-dealer auctions, it is crucial that buyer and seller trust each other.

When asked whether the industry doing a good job of making sure arbitration policies are thorough and the buying/selling process is as transparent as possible, Munce said these marketplaces are “learning as they go, and enhancing where it’s needed.”

One disadvantage cited by many analysts to these smaller, online marketplaces is the potential to make just a bit less money on your units than you might in the auction lanes.

Munce attributes this to the fact that dealer-to-dealer marketplaces are “not as grand as the auction wholesale marketplace, so therefore, it’s not as robust.”

In any auction environment, the more buyers and eyes on the cars means potentially more money for the wholesaler.

“So, you can apply pricing tools all day long, but how do you really know that if there wasn’t another 200 buyers on those cars that there wouldn’t be as much one more guy who is going to pay you $100 more?” Munce asked.

Marketplaces such as TradeRev are already addressing this issue, with the recent launch of its "Send to ADESA" feature, which allows its users to push unsold vehicles on the site to the physical auction as a second stop in the remarketing funnel.

Many have questioned whether dealer-to-dealer online auction marketplaces have taken off recently due to the tight used supply environment in Canada and dealers being forced to utilize alternative sourcing methods.

But one other way to look at is, regardless of whether digital remarketing technology hadn’t taken off when it did, there would still be the same number of cars at the auction today.

That’s the angle Munce took, noting, “All that it is happening is it (wholesale supply) is the same pie, but they are shifting it. It’s like the flavor of the month, and I’m not saying dealer-to-dealer and digital auctions are the flavor of the month, I think dealers are jumping in — they are trying it out,” said Munce. “If it’s fast and efficient, and if they are finding good deals, and they are selling for the right price, they are going to come back to it.”

Munce contended the market has simply moved some of the inventory from the physical auctions to the dealer-to-dealer online marketplaces.

“Consequently, dealers have to go there and try it out and look everywhere for stock,” Munce concluded.  
 

New GM Named at ADESA Ottawa

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ADESA announced today that it has named a new general manager at ADESA Ottawa. Most recently serving as the auction’s assistant GM, Jason McClenahan now takes on the position of GM, where he will be responsible for the auction’s market share growth and maintaining the auction’s culture for employees and customers.

“Jason has a proven track record of innovative performance and leadership,” said Trevor Henderson, ADESA Canada’s chief operating officer. “He’s dedicated to the success and growth of this auction, having developed relationships with the team and with customers during his time as this location’s assistant general manager.”

McClenahan possesses more than 15 years of auction industry experience, which he started as a part-time block clerk for ADESA while still in high school. He has held various roles since then, including vehicle check-in, fleet coordinator, operations manager and sales manager. He spent 12 of his years with ADESA Vancouver and the last three with ADESA Ottawa.

“I’m honored to lead this experienced team at ADESA Ottawa,” McClenahan said. “There’s a lot of history here, having been in business 25 years this June. It’s an exciting time and we plan to open our 10th auction block soon.”

A graduate of the Western College of Auctioneering, McClenahan takes the reigns from the auction’s former GM, Joanne Marzsin, who served in the position for 10 years. Marzsin will remain with the company in a new role as the director of financial compliance for ADESA’s North American operations.

“Joanne has been incredibly committed to our success during the years,” Henderson said. “We are pleased that we will continue to have her expertise in this new position.”

Online Auction for Repossessed Vehicles Hits the Canadian Market

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RepoDepo, which for 25 years has been one of the largest suppliers of repossessed vehicles across Canada, has launched RepoDepoDirect.ca.

RepoDepoDirect.ca, a national live online auction exclusively featuring quality repossessed vehicles, offers dealership used-car buyers an advanced view of RepoDepo’s full inventory, with the opportunity to purchase any vehicle displayed online ahead of availability through the company’s partner ADESA Canada’s physical auction lanes.

Diane Raso, senior manager, national sales and remarketing for RepoDepo, told Auto Remarketing Canada the new tool — that first launched Feb. 17 — was the result of a two-fold need from buyers and clients.

“From the client perspective, they were looking for us to be able to sell the vehicles faster, and of course, at a higher dollar value,” said Raso. “From a dealer’s perspective, they were always looking to get to the cars faster.”

When the company looked at its buyers’ needs as well as its clients’ needs and how to marry the two, “RepoDepoDirect.ca, was the approach we came up with,” Raso said.

“The site allows us to host online sales daily, featuring new inventory as it enters the market,” she said. “In designing the new tool, we took a look at our demographic, with a large buyer base, and worked to leverage that and give back to the loyal supporters of the RepoDepo brand.”

Raso said the company has a particularly loyal following. The RepoDepo concept was initially launched in 1978, and went into rebranding in the 1990s. 

“This is when the RepoDepo became the RepoDepo as we know it today,” said Raso. “It is a brand that has been around for a very long time, and this shows in how loyal our buyers are. We are primarily in the wholesale market today. We do have public auctions across the country also, though. Our main demographic is the used-car dealer.”

That said, Raso highlighted the site “has something for everyone.”

Products range from older makes and models to new, late-model vehicles with less than 1,500 kilometers on the odometers — prime pickings for OEM certified pre-owned programs.

“You are looking at pretty much off-the-lot product, from the economical brands to the luxury Rolls Royce we sold last year. We have a wide variety that meets pretty much every consumer we could look at when it comes to the dealer base we have,” said Raso. “We have something for absolutely everyone, from domestic to import, from economic to luxury brands. We have a little bit of everything. Products that would suit independent used-car lots, as well as franchised dealership’s used-car programs.”

And with used supply remaining tight, a program such as this could serve as an alternative sourcing avenue for dealers.

“We have such a mixed bag of vehicles, and as consumers come through dealership doors, dealers are getting online and looking for product that meets their needs,” said Raso. “We update inventory on a daily basis.”

Product on the site can range from 30 to 40 vehicles up to 100 on a daily basis. Raso pointed out the numbers fluctuate as the vehicles become legal for sale.

Vehicles on RepoDepoDirect.ca are introduced on the online site before they actually make it to the physical auction lanes, which gives site members first access at new inventory.

RepoDepoDirect.ca is run through a partnership with ADESA Canada, so all of the auction policies that “dealer are used to apply on our site,” Raso pointed out.

“Arbitration rules are closely covered. We are very transparent. We pride ourselves on being as transparent as possible with the information that we have. We disclose absolutely everything we know about the vehicles,” she said.  “Part of our loyalty to our buyers is making sure we are providing them with as much accurate information as we possibly can.”

As for how to register for the site, RepoDepoDirect.ca is once again taking its buyer base into account.

Loyal brand supporters were grandfathered in, and Raso said as dealers become stronger participants in the RepoDepo brand, they will then gain access to the new website.

“Dealers need to be a supporter of our in-lane purchasing to utilize this tool,” Raso added.

Since the site’s launch on Feb. 17, the new tool has been well received.

“We have had tremendous success over the last couple of weeks. Our conversion rates continue to surpass our expectations, and the buyer activity has been extraordinary. Though, I wouldn’t expect anything less from our buyers,” said Raso. “We’ve got a very strong following of strong RepoDepo brand supporters. The loyalty has come through in ways that  has even exceeded my expectations.

“We are converting at a high level at this point. We’ve got some great product online, and the dealers are loving it from what we are seeing today,” she concluded.

 

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