Manheim President Sandy Schwartz calls 2013 “the year of the customer” at their NADA press conference in Orlando, Florida. Creating an improved and more standardized dealer experience is at the heart of Manheim’s business development efforts.
At the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, Manheim Auctions launched several new innovations. Leading the array of new products is Simulcast on Mobile, which enables customers to bid and buy from anywhere – their lot, any Manheim location, the airport or even from a competitor’s auction. Manheim is also releasing the free Manheim myMobileListing app and the enhanced My Purchases digital solution.
Manheim’s President, Sandy Schwartz, said that mobile access, via devices such as smartphones and tablets represents the biggest area of growth in the vehicle auction marketplace, providing both buyers and sellers with unparalleled access, timeliness and convenience for doing business. “Last year, nearly 10 million visits were made to the Manheim Marketplace from mobile devices,” said Schwartz, “up 140 per cent from 2011.”
Manheim’s suite of Simulcast online solutions have long been seen as a critical part of the used car dealer’s arsenal and the company has continued to evolve the product line. In 2012, Manheim celebrated the 10th anniversary of Simulcast, as well as launched its new Simulcast Everywhere product. Manheim is also leading the industry with innovative solutions for dealers by offering a mobile Simulcast product on the iPhone and iPad that will also be available on Android devices later this year.
“Manheim’s mission is to put game-changing information in our customers’ hands, no matter where they are — online, at home, in the showroom, or at auctions — to provide faster, less expensive, lower risk, higher volume and more fairly priced transactions,” remarked Joe George, senior vice president, product development. “We have a robust set of mobile offerings designed to accomplish those goals by putting the power of the Manheim marketplace in the palm of the customer’s hand. Our product development efforts boil down to one thing — provide visionary solutions to help customers win. That’s what we’re doing with Simulcast on Mobile, the Simulcast product line, broadly speaking, and with all of our products and services.”
Manheim began to pilot the mobile Simulcast app in December 2012 and feedback from dealers has been positive. “I read through the App Store update, saw that the app was available and I thought — Simulcast on Mobile? Really? Let me download this and give it a try. I wasn’t sure how fast it would be – but it worked great and was very up-to-date,” said Charlie Gracia of Doral Buick GMC in Miami, Fla., the first Manheim customer to actually purchase a vehicle using Simulcast on Mobile.
Besides introducing new mobile solutions, Manheim also revealed its latest Used Car Market Report at the NADA Convention. The report said that used vehicle sales were strong in 2012, aided by strong F&I income, faster inventory turnaround and good operating efficiencies. Manheim’s chief economist, Tom Webb, said that “barring risks, 2013 looks to be another year of sustainable growth. In fact,” he remarked, “the mere continuation of the [economic] recovery has put us in a much better position. The lapse of time has finally allowed the housing bust to run its course. In 2013 housing will be a contributor to economic growth, not drag.”
