Manheim: Year-End Used-Car Values Stay Strong, from F&I Magazine. Wholesale used-vehicle values increased in the fourth quarter by nearly 2% to finish the year slightly higher than last year, as consumer demand for used car and trucks remained s

For many dealers, coming to terms with the assets and liabilities impacting the continued success of their business can be a difficult wakeup call. The ability to build a resilient, sustainable business over multiple generations is a multi-faceted en

If dealers compare their current front-end gross profit averages in new and used vehicles to similar data five years ago, you’d likely notice a troubling trend. I’ve conducted this exercise with dealers recently as part of conversations about mar

I recently made the decision that I needed to further my education, as well as try to find something that I could bring to you that would narrow the gap between dealers to wholesale to independents profitability. When we look at the number of vehicle

I’ve been spending the past few days in budget and strategy sessions, planning for 2015. The work has brought me to a clear conclusion; Things aren’t going to get any easier for dealers next year and, in some cases, the challenging horizon may pr

The automotive retail industry has been abuzz in recent weeks after the announcement of Warren Buffett’s acquisition of the Van Tuyl Group, and the creation of Berkshire Hathaway Automotive Group. This acquisition has the industry talking about

How do you persuade a customer to come into your dealership and buy a vehicle? It’s one of the most basic questions any dealer can ask, and yet finding an answer that works is a tall order. Hundreds and more strategies have been created and impleme

You never know when a life altering event or fatality is going to strike. Unfortunately they do happen in the workplace and most often occur from unknown or unpredictable circumstances. The incidents frequently result from: Distracted driving mishaps

Say Goodbye to Short-Term Success with Shoppers It was the early 1980s. My grandmother wanted a new car, and was dead set on a Volvo. Some of you might remember the “Built like a tank” campaign — she was hooked. Well, my grandfather was the one