Planning for the unexpected
HOW TO ENSURE YOUR DEALERSHIP SURVIVES AND THRIVES IN THE EVENT OF DISASTER During the small hours on Wednesday July 11, 2012 a fire broke out at Gus Brown Buick GMC in Whitby, Ont. Because the dealership was closed at …
Category: Features
Clearer picture
WITH CONSUMERS SHOWING UP BETTER INFORMED THAN EVER IN DEALERSHIP SHOWROOMS, TRANSPARENCY AT ALL LEVELS HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF DOING BUSINESS As Internet usage has proliferated in the last decade, today’s dealership customers are more informed than ever …
Digital minds
SOME OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON DIGITAL AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING We all know that digital is the future in our business. Dealers need to be online, actively engaging users and serving their customers — from …
Auto retailing: The next frontier
IT’S 2030. SELLING AND SERVICING CARS HAS CHANGED. No longer is the business dominated by monolithic showrooms and expansive fixed ops departments. Instead, everything’s become virtual. Buyers can select every option and feature on their next vehicle via virtual touch …
Taking control
In this special two-part series, Steve Southin, director and co-founder of automotive software firm DealerHacker and a former dealership general sales manager, talks about upgrade sales events and how do-it-yourself software now allows dealers to perform the process in-house, giving …
A different perspective
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS, LEADING DMS PROVIDER PBS SYSTEMS GROUP HAS TAKEN A UNIQUE APPROACH TO THE INDUSTRY SINCE DAY ONE Today, it’s hard to imagine there was a time when the business office in the dealership didn’t rely …
Trading times
WHY CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS ARE PROVIDING GREATER OPPORTUNITIES IN VEHICLE REMARKETING There’s no question that today, used car prices in general, seem to be on the high side. Many industry observers also forecast that they’re likely to remain so for …
Mastering Millennials
HOW DEALERS CAN FIND WAYS TO SUCCESSFULLY CONNECT WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF CAR BUYERS At this year’s CADA Summit, Ramesh Swamy, of Deloitte’s National and Retail Distribution Leadership Team talked about establishing relevant dialogue for the next generation of …
Going green
MORE DEALERS ARE GREENING UP THEIR STORES, BUT WHAT ARE THE REAL BENEFITS? CANADIAN AUTO DEALER INVESTIGATES. It’s popular with customers, it’s good for the environment but is investing to green your dealership good for your dealership’s bottom line? “On …
Built fast, but to last
PORTABLE STRUCTURES SPRING UP AT DEALERSHIPS Just south of calgary, in Aldersyde, Alta. at the headquarters of Sprung Instant Structures Inc. there’s a made-in-Canada success story that showcases a remarkably innovative building technology. The company’s patented tension membrane system enables …
A worthy milestone
F&I PIONEER INDUSTRIAL ALLIANCE-SAL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS Fifty years is a long time by any standards and Industrial Alliance-SAL is understandably proud in achieving this significant milestone. The company, founded in 1963, pioneered the concept of the business …
Keep your friends close
DESPITE TOUGH AFTERMARKET COMPETITION AND LINGERING STIGMAS, THERE IS STILL A LOT DEALERS CAN DO TO DEVELOP SUCCESSFUL SERVICE RETENTION STRATEGIES We often hear stories about how people are reluctant to take their cars to their dealership for service. For …
