Kia Canada Inc. announced a new online tool for dealers, fleet and rental partners that should make acquiring pre-owned and CPO vehicles a bit easier in this tight supply environment.
Kia has partnered with web-based auction AutoGavel Exchange — powered by North Toronto Auction — to offer another online inventory option for dealers.
The website — www.agx-kia.ca — was launched this past July and offers Kia franchises dealer’s exclusive services and access to inventory from Kia Canada, daily rental companies, fleet management companies, auctions, other dealers and, in the future, the Kia Canada lease returns, the company explained.
And though leasing has not picked back up to pre-recession highs in Canada, off-lease vehicle still serve as an invaluable inventory option for used and CPO sourcing and stocking.
Richard Pasta, manager, national fleet sales, remarketing and CPO for Kia Canada, said, “In efforts to bring full circle to our remarketing, fleet and CPO programs we elected to go to market in search for an online ‘auction’ provider/partner. The team at NTA (North Toronto Auction) welcomed the project and agreed to assist KCI (Kia Canada Inc.) with our online solution and vision.”
On top of having access to exclusive inventory, the company explained Kia dealers can also ramp up their CPO programs by “exchanging” inventory with other dealers.
George Lykopoulos, manager, national fleet sales, remarketing and CPO for Kia Canada said, “This site provides KCI with a controlled remarketing channel geared toward our dealer network. With the capabilities of enhancing CPO sales, fleet sales and retail lease returns.
“This allows our fleet partners to remarket their Kia vehicles back to the Kia dealers and is a great tool that has the versatility to be used in any fleet clients remarketing process. Functionality of the site along with its flexibility and ease-of-use are the reasons in which we are excited about the future of the KCI-AGX relationship,” he continued.
For more information about the new offering, dealers can contact Gerry Johnson, corporate account manager at North Toronto Auction, at gjohnson@northtorontoauction.com.
Below is a screenshot of the new site for Kia Dealers:
Automotive digital marketing company Strathcom Media recently promoted a new way for Canadian dealerships to increase their online exposure.
With its new syndicated data service, the company says dealers can “increase the online exposure of their inventory without increasing their budgets.”
The Used Cars Canada (UCC) Network (usedcarscanada.com), allows dealerships to post their vehicle inventory online for free and have it syndicated, or displayed, across a large network of websites.
These partners include trovit.ca, OLX.ca, carsgone.com, LemonFree.com, CanadianBlackBook.com and AUTOandTRUCK.ca.
The company explained the new offering was designed to provide Canadian dealerships with free vehicle syndication for online postings.
On the used end, potential buyers can search for vehicles on the UCC Network by make and model, price, mileage, year and body-type or search for a car dealership by location.
The UCC Network currently has more than $720 million in vehicle inventory displayed on its primary domain, the company reported.
Cochran also stopped to explain the reasoning behind a free third-party syndicated site: “A simple belief in providing value to dealers by generating free leads. Working with dealers around the country I have always been asked ‘How can we generate more leads without increasing our budget?’ Used Cars Canada is our answer.”
Though Used Cars Canada has been in existence for several years, Cochran explained the company is now actively promoting it to dealers and consumers.
“Moving forward Used Cars Canada is going to be getting a complete makeover not only from a design and usability perspective but from an SEO and SEM perspective as well,” Cochran said. “Part of our strategy is to make sure that consumers can find the site and browse the vehicles. We are actively working on increasing the number of visitors to the site each month.”
And dealers should expect mobile offerings to follow shortly.
“In our opinion an excellent mobile experience is now a prerequisite for websites. With the new design will also come a brand new mobile site,” Cochran said. “As for an app it is on the radar but the mobile site will be coming first. “
On Credit Group recently announced its dealer wholesale program has expanded to reach across Canada. In support of its national presence, the company hired a new vice president of Inventory on Credit.
Tapped for the position is Rick Wilson, who is a 25-year veteran of the automotive industry, with specific experience in the inventory finance market.
The company expansion may help dealers to have better access to secondary inventory finance for both franchised and independent dealers.
“It’s not always easy to find a company that shares the same vision when it comes to creating, developing and executing a business plan. The On Credit Group has built a culture that is second to none. The team has embraced the philosophy and mission statement and it is an honor to be joining them at this stage in my career,” Wilson said.
The Inventory on Credit branch of the company touts two programs: a Starter and a Standard program.
Why the split?
Chris McMunn president and chief executive officer of the On Credit Group, explained the company’s reasoning, noting, “We wanted to make it easy for a dealer to attain a small credit line in the event they hadn’t had one before. They can then move into the Standard program after they have built some positive history.
“This gives the dealer the opportunity to get started in the wholesale game, so they can learn as they go, in a comfortable, controlled environment.”
Company officials also stressed they worked throughout 2012 to “ensure” their internal systems were ready for a national presence.
“It is so exciting to walk into a company that is not only ready to grow, but has the best systems and technology available” Wilson said. “The opportunity for success is right here and I couldn’t be happier to be an integral part of it.”
– See more at: http://www.autoremarketing.com/print/technology/credit-group-offer-dealer-wholesale-program-national-level-canada?wt_mc_id=Email-ARCanada#sthash.T2fiqBIv.dpuf
