Accessory drive
If you took a truck or SUV from your inventory, added a lift kit, some large wheels and tires, custom graphics, a chrome roll bar and maybe a winch, do you think it would draw attention to your dealership? What …
Category: Features
Securing your future
It’s a topic that’s rarely far from the headlines in auto retailing these days. But if you’re a dealer that’s thinking about the future, the best way to approach succession planning might seem a bit like navigating a minefield. Making …
Social Media: Does it really sell cars?
I began my career in the automotive industry working as a Marketing & Internet Director for a Ford dealership in Alberta. I had no previous experience within the automotive space and so I was arguably able to bring a …
Heart of an entrepreneur
Holding a sprig of mistletoe, I thrust it above Lori’s head in the kitchen archway. She looks up, giggling with the same charm that hooked me decades ago. I kiss her and she wraps her arms around my neck. “Get …
Focused growth
Beginning with a Nissan store, Mark Falkenberg’s group has strategically and profitably expanded its footprint It’s a busy Tuesday at Willowdale Nissan. Customers are perusing the showroom, the service bays are full and Mark Falkenberg is sitting in his office, …
On the Road with: Lindsay Duffield, President, Jaguar Land Rover Canada
JLR Canada chief talks about the company’s new product onslaught and why quality isn’t just about the vehicle, it’s about the entire ownership experience Canadian Auto Dealer traveled to Jaguar Land Rover Canada’s headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario for a one-on-one …
At your service
CHANGE IS COMING AND BILL TANNER’S A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF FIXED OPS. THEN AGAIN, ANOTHER FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY IS ALWAYS TEMPTING So this is the future. And I’m not talking distant future; I’m talking maybe eight minutes from …
2014 mid-year report card
THE MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW AND MOST BRANDS ARE DOING WELL — BUT NOT ALL At the halfway point of 2014, new auto sales in Canada are 2.8 per cent ahead of where they were at the same time last …
Smooth flow
HOW BOTH DEALERS AND OEMS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO DELIVER A CONSISTENT, HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Take a step back. Think for a minute. When somebody steps foot into your showroom or drives into your service lane, what do you …
Bigger and brighter
LEAVENS VOLKSWAGEN’S NEW FACILITY IS A TESTAMENT TO HARD WORK AND CUSTOMER DEDICATION One day, while his parents were on holiday in Europe, a young Ed Leavens decided to trade in the family station wagon for an Austin-Healey sports car. …
Don’t follow the flock
LEARNING TO STAND APART FROM THE CROWD OFTEN PUTS YOU IN FRONT OF IT At Canadian auto dealer, we’ve done quite a bit of coverage on the used vehicle market in the last few years, especially as more dealers are …
The power of a “people” perspective
FROM DAY ONE, SEARCH OPTICS HAS TAKEN A PERSONAL, BOUTIQUE APPROACH WHEN WORKING WITH ITS DEALER CLIENTS In the digital age,it’s often all too easy to be seduced by the latest technology. Dealers are bombarded all the time about new …
