Owning an auto dealership today is big business. With ever-increasing competition, manufacturer retailing demands, data management, the Internet, an informed consumer and attracting and retaining the right team, the business is now extremely complex. Add to that the pressures of …
For the past couple of decades we’ve been promised that fuel-cell powered vehicles were just around the corner. We were also promised that once they made it to market, they would revolutionize the very concept of the automobile. That …
In the modern, ultra competitive auto retail marketplace, what distinguishes one dealership from another is its relationship with its customers, and how the responsibility of that relationship and the processes that make it possible are aligned between the staff at …
Anyone who has completed a construction or renovation project knows firsthand that the last five per cent of it is usually the most difficult. In fact, we often see the final five per cent not completed for many years, if …
Some months ago, I wrote about an informal survey of dealerships in North York, Ont. and how many were just not geared up to greet and engage the digital customer’s attention. Recently, I did some more mystery shopping at retail …
I have used this space on several occasions to offer insights into the recent evolution of consumer debt dynamics in the Canadian automotive retail market. Though the details varied, the theme did not: consumers have piled on more debt in …
Probably the most common question I get from dealers is “How do I get more leads?” Leads are the lifeblood of automotive retail and when I hear dealers requesting more, I know we can help. With well over 80 per …
A cord cutter is one of 7.6 million households in the U.S. that has chosen to sever relationships with cable and satellite TV services in favor of online offerings. This is the new normal. Traditional media is seeing a decline …
While we’ve seen the availability of battery electric vehicles in Canada jump from five models in 2011 to 17 by the end of this year, the reality is much of that increase has been driven by the need for automakers …
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 …
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 …
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 …
