Data shows auto shows drive real purchases, not just awareness or browsing A persistent myth still circulates that auto shows are primarily a brand awareness exercise—a place for families to collect brochures and sit in cars they have no immediate …
A new CADA initiative aims to help Canadian dealers navigate AI adoption with insights and real-world lessons from their peers In the February 2026 edition of Canadian auto dealer, one of our columnists Barry Hillier wrote about the AI tsunami …
CADA’s first-ever CARTS study helps dealers better understand Canada’s auto industry tech landscape. Last fall, at the request of the CADA Industry Relations Committee, the Clarify team set out to learn more about the technology landscape within and across Canada’s …
Auto shows play an integral role in EV awareness and education The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by Canadian consumers has not exactly gone as planned. While EVs remain a central focus for the federal and (some) provincial governments, as …
OEMs might have different priorities, but research shows consumers remain keen on attending Samuel Clemens, more commonly known by his pen name, Mark Twain, has many famous quotes attributed to him — some real, some fabricated. One of his many …
Canadian dealership leaders predict upcoming industry changes In this second installment, we will revisit the remaining three trends gathered from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) study discussed in the previous column. As you may recall, CADA commissioned a forward-looking …
Canadian dealership leaders forecast the most significant challenges ahead There is one constant in the automotive industry: change. Current geopolitical challenges and mandates aside, automotive retail is constantly evolving, and is impacted by many factors. Real estate, technology, changing demographics …
To boost EV adoption, dealership teams need to own and operate them too In October 2022, I shared my initial impressions of the transition to owning a battery electric vehicle. With 24 months of ownership and over 42,000 kms travelled, …
Auto dealers who evolve, have a different, but bright future. In 2019, Forbes magazine offered one of the best descriptions of disruption I’ve read: “Disruption is rarely invited… it is almost always forced on us, particularly in a mature industry, …
What are the implications for dealers of brands that exhibit vs. those that don’t? Does an auto show deliver a return on investment for exhibiting brands? This was one of many questions that that Jason Campbell, General Manager, and his …
Order-to-delivery is going to be with us for a while, and we need to improve our approach for how we keep our customers in the loop. The rules of the game have changed. If you think back to the days …
I’ve never thought of myself as an early adopter. If my lovely wife had a dollar for every time she encouraged me to “try something new”—say other than navy blue sweaters or penne a la vodka when we go to …
