Shifting Gears
Got an opinion? We’d love to hear it. The first thing you’ll notice in this issue of Canadian auto dealer is that my picture replaces the picture of our longtime editor Gerry Malloy in this spot. But all is well …
News
The next chapter begins…
New faces in different places on our team In September 2004, in a hotel room outside Detroit, Mich., Canadian auto dealer magazine was born. In that room, CADA’s President & CEO Rick Gauthier and I presented the concept for the …
Electric vehicles are coming, but are you ready?
When I started on the bench as an apprentice back in 1959, my favourite vehicle to work on was a Jaguar XK 150 with a D type head and three SU carburetors. Its top speed was about 135 miles per …
Technology helps fuel sales transparency
Sales tools make it easier to provide customers instant answers on pricing From the time a potential buyer sits down at the sales desk, the clock is ticking. They have questions, your sales people need to provide answers — …
Crunch the numbers
Do some simple math and figure out how well you are performing This is the sixth in a series of aids developed by Jim Bell, of Global Automotive Consultants, which we provide periodically to help you assess the operation of …
Let’s check the first quarter scorecard
The numbers are looking good, but inventory is a challenge We are well into 2011 now and some of what we expected to see in the wholesale market has, indeed, trans- pired in the first few months of the year. …
The budget that never was
Budget that toppled government worth reviewing The federal budget that was presented on March 22 was, like all budgets, cre- ated by mixing equal parts economics and politics. As it happens, the budget quickly turned into an election platform for …
Off-lease/off-fleet shortage will impact supply and pricing
Used-market could decline over next few years Trade-ins provide the primary supply of used vehicles for dealerships to sell. But off-lease and off-fleet vehicles are major second- ary sources of used inventory. It’s no secret that both new-vehicle leases and …
Gasoline price impacts vehicle sales
Why aren’t small-car sales soaring? Gasoline prices have been rising steadily since last September. As this is written, Regular gasoline is running in the range of $1.28/litre in the Toronto area and if the current rate of increase continues, prices …
Are your affairs in order?
There’s never a bad time to work on succession planning Over my many years of practice I have witnessed many different ways that dealers plan for the road ahead. One thing is true — when ahead becomes now, very few …
The electrification of the automobile
All hybrids are not created equal Like it or not, electrically powered vehicles will soon be part of the product mix you’re selling… if they are not already. Increasingly restrictive fuel economy regulations mandated by the U.S. government and paralleled …
The big get bigger
Dealer groups continue to grow. What does this mean for you? The trend towards large dealer groups is spreading from coast to coast. Beyond the synergies and the economies of scales, what’s behind this? And is there such a thing …
