Reconditioning Inefficiency Comes Back to Bite–Hard

Amid the current, incredible run of strong retail demand for used vehicles, some dealers are forced to do something many would have considered unheard of in recent years–selling cars to customers...

Ripple Effects of Current New Vehicle Inventory Constraints

There is absolutely no question that the micro-chip and COVID-19 constraints on factory production and sales of new vehicles has landed franchise dealers in uncharted territory. I can’t recall a...

Early Signs of a Market Moving to More “Normal” Dynamics

I believe we’re about to reach a similar moment in the used vehicle market, particularly for dealers who have been stocking their inventories to achieve a 60- or even 90-days supply of vehicles.

ProfitTime 2.0 in Practice: A Case of Moonshots and Missed Shots in Used Vehicles

If you examine how dealers are pricing used vehicles in the current market based on the investment value of each vehicle, it amounts to a tale of two cities. Or, more specifically, it boils down...

4 Pointers for Acquiring Inventory in an Appreciating Market

With wholesale values of vehicles reaching record highs, dealers are asking if it makes sense to continue acquiring inventory at costs at, near or sometimes above current retail asking prices for...

A Remarkable–and Familiar–Time for Used Vehicle Retailing

This is normally the time of year when I caution dealers about their high hopes for a strong spring selling season in used vehicles. The caution relates to the tendency of dealers to speculate...

ProfitTime 2.0 Offers Superior Investment Management Power

It was a big step for the industry when vAuto officially launched ProfitTime two years ago. For the first time, dealers had the ability to know the investment value of every used vehicle in their...

Find Your Wholesale Sourcing Sweet Spot

Saying Goodbye to the ‘Godfather of Automotive Digital Marketing’

If you’ve been in the car business for the past 20 years and wanted to better understand how digital marketing could help your dealership, you probably know Ralph Paglia. Ralph was among a handful...

NADA 2021: A View from the Home Office

Like a lot of dealers, I’m missing NADA this year. This year’s NADA would have marked my 52nd trip to the annual gathering of the dealers, partners and others who drive the car business.

Effective Reconditioning Sets the Foundation for Dealership Success

3 Best Practices To Beat Back Used Vehicle Margin Compression

It’s like a leaky faucet. Drip by drip, the retail profit you make on used vehicles goes down the drain.   But unlike a leaky faucet, the fix for margin compression in used vehicles isn’t as easy...

A Better Way to Price Used Vehicles Arrives

It’s a big week for vAuto as we unveil ProfitTime 2.0 at the Cox Automotive Experience, a precursor to the system’s official launch at the upcoming virtual National Automobile Dealers Association...

Saying Goodbye to the ‘Godfather of Automotive Digital Marketing’

If you’ve been in the car business for the past 20 years and wanted to better understand how digital marketing could help your dealership, you probably know Ralph Paglia. Ralph was among a handful...

Three Principles to Fuel Your Fourth Quarter in Used Vehicles

My phone’s been buzzing with dealers asking for input on how they should manage and stock their used vehicle inventories as 2020 comes to close. The questions come from a confluence of factors...

Take-Aways from Cox Automotive’s “Dialogue Series”

I’m taking part in a new “Dialogue” series with Cox Automotive. The ongoing series offers dealers and industry stakeholders to ask questions, and get answers, from Cox Automotive leaders. Last...

An Unprecedented Market Teaches Three Important Lessons

Unprecedented times tend to yield unprecedented outcomes. That’s been the story for dealers during the past several months in used vehicles. As I’ve noted here before, many dealers were able to...