As if dealerships didn’t have enough to concern them nowadays because of the coronavirus pandemic, reports out of one of North Carolina’s largest cities indicated 11 dealers and a rental car facility have seen nearly 50 vehicles stolen in the past month; inventory worth more than $1 million. The incidents reinforced the more than dozen […] [Read More]

Ignite Consulting Partners has dealership clients not only in its home state of Texas, but nationwide. And the firm has been communicating with those operators daily throughout the crisis, discussing disaster plans and more. Chief legal and compliance officer Steve Levine joined senior editor Nick Zulovich for this podcast episode to share several uplifting anecdotes […] [Read More]

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday morning that another 3,839,000 workers filed initial claims for unemployment benefits last week, lifting the six-week total to above 30 million individuals because of COVID-19. The figure likely adds more challenges to any tenuous improvement in vehicle sales as well as a recovery for the general economy. […] [Read More]

After two weeks of improving numbers, the decline in used-vehicle sales at franchised dealerships compared to pre-virus projections got a bit steeper last week, according to J.D. Power. But in total, used-car retail numbers in total are getting better when compared to year-ago figures, according to Cox Automotive. Here’s a look into those respective data […] [Read More]

AutoNation made another executive move on Wednesday, giving additional responsibility to a current member of its management team. The company announced that Marc Cannon, AutoNation’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, has been appointed executive vice president and chief customer experience officer. AutoNation described Cannon as an innovative leader with more than 30 years […] [Read More]

Digital transformation company Dealer-FX has launched a new offering that it says eases the processes of appointment scheduling and service check-in for vehicle owners and simplifies appointment management and customer communication for dealerships. The offering is called Experience, and Dealer-FX said it is designed for the "new normal" of social distancing. To help alleviate some […] [Read More]

There are, quite literally, many moving pieces to J.D. Power Valuation Services’ used-car supply forecast. But bottom line, don’t fear the “glut.” Used supply will be likely be lower than pre-virus forecasts in May, higher than pre-virus forecasts in June, then back to pre-pandemic levels in August, the company projects. Here’s how that shakes out, […] [Read More]

Video walkarounds, at-home test drives and driveway delivery are some of the contactless buying options of the new Virtual Shopping communication system from Carsforsale.com. The company said it is unveiling the new system to ensure car shoppers’ and auto dealers’ safety and ensure seamless and safe buying connections in the wake of COVID-19. Carsforsale.com chief executive […] [Read More]

CarGurus offered discounts to dealers for April and May. The company is now continuing to offer discounts for June. For its subscribing dealerships in the United States, the company on Wednesday announced a 20% rate reduction for the month of June. CarGurus said it intended the June discount to provide extended cost relief, so U.S. […] [Read More]

The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, or GNYADA, says auto dealers collectively contribute more than $20 million annually to charitable causes in local communities such as Long Island, New York City and Westchester County. Once again, the association said, dealers are racing to the aid of their neighbors. GNYADA, which represents more than 400 […] [Read More]