THE LOT BLOG

“How can I make my car dealership more profitable?” This is the question many — if not all — dealers ponder when strategizing ways to reel in more money for their car business. While there are various methods and strategies your dealership can implement to become more profitable, one of the fundamental keys to doing this is increasing your cash flow. Cash flow is an important factor when measuring your dealership’s financial performance. While positive cash flow indicates a company has...

The auto sales market has evolved into a hybrid of in-person car buying and online car sales. According to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Automotive Consumer Study, 71 percent of American car shoppers want to buy their car in person, while a recent Harris poll found that 64 percent of consumers aren’t comfortable buying entirely online. However, both studies also found that there are many parts of the car buying process that consumers prefer to do online, such as completing all their research and...

It’s been an interesting couple of years for the global economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the ongoing microchip shortage, the automotive industry has been hit especially hard. While the effects of the pandemic continue to shake the automotive industry, analysts are predicting some positive news for the year ahead, according to Automotive News: New-vehicle inventories will improve slightly as automakers continue in their efforts to secure microchip supplies. North American...

Getting customers approved for car financing is an important step in the car buying process. Many car dealerships that offer traditional auto financing only approve car buyers who have what most auto lenders and car finance companies consider a positive credit history. On the contrary, car dealerships that offer subprime auto financing can approve car buyers with bad credit or no credit history, opening the door for them to approve more customers. Car dealerships that are enrolled in...

We live in a new generation of car buying. With the Internet right at the fingertips of consumers, new and used car shoppers no longer need to fully rely on car salespeople for information on a vehicle they’re interested in purchasing. Because of this, car dealerships must now take a different approach to establishing credibility with potential car buyers. Two words: Active listening. According to John Doerr, president of global sales and training organization RAIN Group, car sales reps...

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the auto industry has been pushing to stay afloat amidst the global chip shortage, which has caused a drastic decline in new car inventory.

Offering subprime financing through your car dealership can position you to reach more customers who are unable to get approved for traditional auto financing because of bad credit or no credit. Enrolling in the Credit Acceptance auto finance program gives your dealership the ability to not only approve more customers for financing, but also increase your market share. Here are the benefits of offering subprime financing through the Credit Acceptance program: Gives you the ability to...

Like first-time car buyers with no credit, getting approved for auto financing can be challenging for consumers with bad credit, which is why offering subprime financing through your car dealership can be beneficial for credit-challenged consumers as well as your business. One of the key factors that will set your car dealership apart from competitors in your market isn’t how many cars you sell, but how many lives you change. When you help someone with bad credit get approved for financing...

Since first-time car buyers with no credit can have a difficult time getting approved for auto financing, offering subprime financing through your car dealership is an effective way to approve consumers with limited credit history. Many consumers with no credit aren’t fully informed on the car buying process or what steps to take to build their credit history, which can help position your car dealership as a valuable resource to educate car buyers on their financial journey. Here are some...

For self-employed car buyers, getting approved for auto financing with traditional auto lenders and finance companies can sometimes be more challenging – especially those with bad credit or no credit history. This presents a unique opportunity for your car dealership to offer auto financing that approves everyone, regardless of their employment status or credit history. If your dealership has turned away potential car buyers due to self-employment and/or their credit history, here’s how...

Building customer retention at your car dealership is an effective way to increase trust, credibility and profitability for your business. To retain customers in your dealership, it’s important to understand consumer behaviors in your market and what appeals to your customers. Dealer software company Modera shared some insightful stats to help car dealerships identify and manage customers more effectively when developing customer retention strategies. Car buyers become more loyal to...

According to a recent Experian study, between 2019 and Q4 2020, auto financing debt reached an all-time high of $1.37 trillion. Despite changes in consumers’ daily travel and commutes, the auto financing market grew at roughly the same rate — six percent — as it had in previous years. “Perhaps one of the most unexpected trends was that delinquencies didn't rise significantly during the pandemic, though we know that a variety of accommodation programs, along with stimulus packages, likely...

With another graduation season in the books and another school year approaching, your car dealership may be seeing an uptick in recent college graduates or current students who are in the market to buy a car. Many of them most likely are first-time car buyers who need help navigating the process, so you will need to know their car shopping behaviors and preferences. College Student Car Buyers Most college car buyers are generally in the 18-23 age range, also known as Generation Z....

With the influx in used car sales over the last year resulting from new vehicle production delays, franchise car dealerships are in a unique position to leverage this new — or shall we say used — car-buying trend.

As lingering effects from the 2020 economic shutdown continue to disrupt the auto industry (i.e. going digital, inventory shortages, etc.), car dealers are finding new ways to adapt and stay on pace with emerging trends. While the consumer behaviors have significantly shifted to the online space, Automotive Mastermind says car buying preferences are also changing as a result of consumer finances, government regulations and shifting product mixes from auto manufacturers. To help car...

As online car shopping continues to increase, consumers are expecting a seamless digital experience from car dealerships. A recent Automotive News study found that 83 percent of car buyers prefer to shop online to save time. To accommodate today’s car buyers, dealerships are adopting new ways to engage with consumers and offer a safe and convenient car shopping experience. Here are three digital car shopping trends that are emerging in car dealerships: Touchless Payments More car...

As the auto industry continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, manufacturers and car dealers are relying more on industry trends and insights to develop their business strategies. Since Generation X and Baby Boomers make up...

A key part of running a successful car dealership is maintaining compliance. The automotive industry has numerous regulations that may seem overwhelming for your dealership to keep up with. However, setting up and maintaining a strong compliance program in your car dealership is necessary to keep it up and running. Here are five ways to maintain compliance in your car dealership: Commit to being compliant. Ignoring compliance won’t make it go away – it’ll only make running your car...

It’s no secret that a lot has changed in the auto industry over the last year, particularly with regard to Millennial and Gen Z car buyers' buying trends. In fact, according to a recent Experian study, Millennials and Gen Z are the only two generational segments of the automotive industry seeing growth. The report found that new vehicle registrations by Gen Z saw growth from 3.0% to 4.2% from Q3 2020 to this year. While Millennial and Gen Z consumers are oftentimes pooled into the same...

While COVID-19 brought about some shifts in car buying trends, automotive brands have managed to adapt by implementing incentive programs, making contactless service available and transitioning the car buying experience from in-person to online. Even though online car shopping has gained popularity due to the pandemic, the appreciation for the in-person car dealership experience remains, particularly amongst millennials, who made up 23 percent of car buyers in 2020, according to Cox...