Sales & Variable OPS
The Dealer’s Dilemma: Staying Involved Without Getting in the Way
“My Dad won’t let go,” “My kid is not pushing me out,” “My father disrupts everything I’m trying to do,” “This is my auto dealership, and I make the final decisions,” “I don’t want to run things, but I do want to know what’s going on.” Sound familiar? These are just a...
Leaving Traditional Cable: Why Streaming is the New Arena for Automotive Retail
As I type this, I know that if I switch on any screen, there’s one major world sport tournament dominating the collective attention of consumers across the globe. The World Cup. This got me thinking: major live sporting events are back in full swing, local stadiums...
Kelley Blue Book Report: As Buyers Gravitate Toward More Affordable Segments, Industry-Wide Vehicle Prices Hold Steady in June
ATLANTA, July 14, 2026 – New-vehicle prices increased modestly in June, according to data released today by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle purchased in June increased less than 1% year over year to...
The Hidden Data Gaps Limiting Dealership Marketing Performance
With years of sales and service records, email lists, campaign history, email engagement, and thousands of customer profiles, it’s easy to believe you have a complete picture of your customers. But many dealership databases have duplicate profiles, outdated contact...
How Longer Vehicle Ownership Is Rewriting the F&I Playbook
Something significant has shifted in the automotive retail landscape, and it is showing up in the F&I office every day. American consumers are holding their vehicles longer than ever before. Not because they want to, but because they have to. Elevated transaction...
The Mid-2026 Car Market: Higher Prices, Hybrids and a Shift in Demand
Key Takeaways: New car prices reached $50,900 in spring 2026 — a 3.3% increase since December — widening the new-to-used price gap to $21,000 and driving buyers firmly into the used market. Used hybrid sales are up 34% year-to-date in 2026, with average list prices...
U.S. Auto Loan Debt Hits a Record $1.69 Trillion
Key Takeaways: U.S. auto loan debt reached a record $1.69 trillion in Q1 2026, up 37% since 2018, driven by rising vehicle prices, elevated interest rates and loan terms stretching to unprecedented lengths. Nearly 1 in 4 new-vehicle buyers in Q2 2026 financed loans...
Why the Lump Sum Auto Protection Model Is Under Pressure and What Dealers Should Be Doing About It Now
It happened to software. Then music. Then television, fitness, meal delivery, and eventually to automobile ownership itself. The subscription model did not merely change how consumers paid for things. It changed what they expected from every purchasing relationship...
ASE Education Foundation Receives $25 Million Federal Grant to Put a New Generation of Service Technicians to Work
The four-year U.S. Department of Labor initiative pays for employers to hire and keep new auto, collision, and truck technicians — and gives the industry a proven way to grow the workforce.
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