Mike Jackson, Chairman and CEO of AutoNation
Mike Jackson, Chairman and CEO of AutoNation, says he will provide his thoughts on what auto dealers are doing to meet the challenges the industry faces, including bridging the “great divide” between the online and in-store experience for vehicle shoppers.
It’s a session that CADA Summit attendees won’t want to miss a minute of. Jackson’s thoughts and opinions will be digested and dissected carefully by the sold-out CADA Summit attendees.
“I’m going to talk about the U.S. economy and where it’s going. I’ll talk about the U.S. auto industry, where the sales rate is, why that is and where I think it will be going,” says Jackson, in an exclusive interview with Canadian auto dealer. “I will talk about the challenges that auto retailers have in the U.S. and what we are doing to deal with it.”
Another subject that Jackson will address is what he calls the “great divide” between the customer experience online and the one inside the dealership. It’s something his company has studied and has invested millions of dollars to address with a range of new services to help customers complete their vehicle transactions online. That subject will be a hot topic at this year’s CADA Summit.
“In automotive retail today there is a great divide today between what customers experience online, and then a big disconnect with what happens when they finally arrive at the store,” says Jackson. “This has led to a high degree of frustration. I’ll talk about our company’s efforts to bridge that divide and to provide one seamless experience.”
He says some vehicle shoppers spend between 15-20 hours doing their homework and researching online and yet when they walk in the store, no one recognizes the investment they’ve made. “Consumers will not accept the existence of this great divide open-ended,” says Jackson.
He says retailers will have to adapt to these new challenges, or risk having third-party intermediaries step in and take advantage of the great divide. “This is a challenge for auto retailers and we must find a solution for it,” says Jackson.
Jackson says he’s visited Canada many times, including for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, but he won’t be talking about the Canadian market, keeping his comments focused on what’s happening south of the border.
The third annual CADA Summit will be another sold-out event, and is supported by an exclusive sponsorship agreement from TD Auto Finance Canada. For more details visit: www.cadasummit.ca
