The National Automobile Dealers Association launched an Industry Relations Task Force last year so it could examine the impact of two-tier pricing and mandatory facility upgrades on dealerships, and as David Westcott steps into his chairmanship of NADA, it appears these two issues remain at the forefront of the minds of dealers and the association […] [Read More]

With the NADA Convention & Expo officially kicking off in Orlando, Fla., and the Orange County Convention Center set to buzz with dealer excitement, AutoTrader.com and Carfax each made big announcements of their own today that can help stores improve their relationships with retail consumers. [Read More]

The key initiatives chairman Roger Penske discussed most when he outlined Penske Automotive Group’s objectives for 2013 revolved around growing revenue by more than 10 percent as well as how the company plans to revamp its store websites and more. In order to reach that targeted revenue growth, Penske thinks it will come through a […] [Read More]

Thanks in part to what analysts called a series of popular vehicle redesigns across its lineup, Lexus shopper loyalty in the fourth quarter increased 9.2 percentage points year-over-year within Kelley Blue Book’s new-model audience. The gain pushed Lexus to come in just behind Toyota, which has held the No. 1 spot for shopper for five […] [Read More]

As gas prices remain high after reaching over $4 in 2012, consumers’ vehicle preferences are bound to shift. And according to Energy Information Administration data released Monday, the average price of regular grade gasoline (all formulations) increased by eighteen cents from $3.36 to 3.54 this past week. Experian Automotive looked into potential buyer reaction to […] [Read More]

Inventory Finance company NextGear Capital, the result of the recent merger Manheim Automotive Financial Services and Dealer Services Corp., revealed late Thursday it has chosen a vice president of industry relations. Tapped for the position is Todd Croom, who previously held the position of VP of finance at Manheim. The company shared Croom will be […] [Read More]

Harrisburg Auto Auction raised more than $35,000 for the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief through a program in November and December where the auction donated $5 for every vehicle sold. Having sold more than 7,000 units during these months and with the auction employees walking through the lanes to solicit donations from dealers, […] [Read More]

Used inventory seems to be loosening up as 2013 gets underway, and many dealers now have the time to turn their focus towards marketing their quality, used vehicles, especially in the online space. In an effort to help this process along, Dominion Dealer Solutions revealed this week a new commenting tool for vehicle inventory which […] [Read More]

Results of a partnership by Dataium and HookLogic to reactivate older sales leads were released this week, and the companies say the numbers point to success. The partnership, which kicked off in fourth quarter 2012, combines Dataium’s contextual behavior analysis and HookLogic’s targeting incentives to reach shoppers considered inactive or no longer in the market […] [Read More]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., and ATLANTA — Geared to help ease the transition from online shopping to in-store buying for both consumers and dealers, Dealertrack Technologies and AutoTrader.com formed a strategic partnership to bring dealer-driven (indirect) automotive financing to vehicle shoppers online. As part of this partnership, Dealertrack and AutoTrader.com are piloting an innovative digital retailing […] [Read More]