Enforcement officials hunting for allegedly deceptive sales practices in automotive haven’t been limiting their targets to dealerships and vehicle retailing like the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing efforts. A recent settlement involving the Pennsylvania attorney general showed that it’s happening in the car-repair industry, too. Pennsylvania attorney general Dave Sunday recently announced a six-figure settlement with […] [Read More]

Lithia & Driveway made a “CPO” move of a different sort on Tuesday. The auto retailer has named Katie Macaddino as its chief people officer, a role in which she will continue leading Lithia’s global People & Culture organization and serve on the dealer group’s senior leadership team. Macaddino will oversee people strategy, culture, leadership […] [Read More]

AutoCanada said last week that its board has initiated a strategic review of the company’s collision operations. A special committee of independent directors will analyze and evaluate various “strategic alternatives intended to maximize value for AutoCanada and its shareholders and to support the continued growth of its collision operations,” the dealer group said in a […] [Read More]

The Foss family name in Canadian auto retail dates back to 1962, when a single-point General Motors dealership opened in North Toronto. Some 60-plus years later, a new entity has emerged that unites the auto retail, fleet management, mobility and real estate businesses bearing that name into one organization. Foss Group of Companies includes four […] [Read More]

The confluence of soaring costs of gas and food and sagging consumer confidence is further deteriorating the environment for dealerships and finance companies. That’s one conclusion to be drawn from the analysis recently provided by Cox Automotive, Fifth Third Bank and the Conference Board. “With the third quarter closed and the fourth underway, the story […] [Read More]

The decline in wholesale vehicle prices grew steeper in September, and that downturn is likely to continue through the fourth quarter, according to the latest analysis from Black Book. On Monday, the firm released its latest Used Vehicle Retention Index, which fell 3.1% month-over-month in September and dropped 3.3% year-over-year. Granted, the decrease was not […] [Read More]

IgniteUps.ai wants to give dealerships a tool to ask questions and use artificial intelligence the way their customers do, especially with the ongoing proliferation of AI agents “Every dealership manager has asked, ‘What can we do to sell a car today?’ NEXUS is built to help answer that question and then help execute,” IgniteUps.ai founder […] [Read More]

Dealers might have a sour opinion about individuals and firms involved in negotiations and decisions eventually made by car buyers. But another firm now offering a concierge advisory service said that it “views dealers as essential partners in a successful purchase.” Among the components of AssetLane is its Call Me First preferred dealer program, which […] [Read More]

So far in this series, we’ve spent a lot of time on upstream digital sales. In fairness, though, the physical downstream auction locations bear the heaviest load, with 8 million-plus vehicles a year sold off their premises. Some of those move through digital platforms, but this is where the rubber meets the road, literally and […] [Read More]

On Monday, S&P Global Ratings launched its vault risk assessment (VRA), a new analytical approach that can deliver independent, forward-looking insights into the risks associated with digital asset lending vaults. The company highlighted the initiative brings institutional-grade transparency to the rapidly evolving digital asset ecosystem and supports informed decision-making for market participants. S&P Global Ratings […] [Read More]