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Industry Trends

2021 – Same But Different

As December 31st rolled around, it felt like everyone was holding their breath, ready to put an extremely difficult year behind them. Then, the realists reminded us that the changing of a date really doesn’t wipe away all the challenges we are currently facing.

The 2021 challenges for the auto industry look much the same as they did in 2020. According to The Conference Board’s economic forecast issued January 13th, several factors will impact the US economy in 2021, including:

  • scale of the ongoing COVID-19 resurgence and any resulting lockdowns;
  • status of labor markets and household consumption;
  • size and timing of additional fiscal stimulus;
  • timing and availability of a COVID-19 vaccine; and,
  • degree to which volatility in the US political transition affects consumer and business confidence.
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Categories
Industry Trends

Hope for 2021

Without a doubt, 2020 has been one of the most challenging years many of us have ever experienced. Yet, I am optimistic that 2021 will bring some sense of normalcy. It will take some time but I truly believe that when we reach the end of next year, we will all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

There have been some bright spots this year. Industry analysts report that 2020 is on track to be an all-time record year for dealership profits. Some factors driving those profits include right-sized new vehicle inventory levels, lower business overhead due to many expense cuts, and greater F&I revenue per vehicle. Hopefully your dealership capitalized on these bright spots and you’re ending the year on a positive note.  But I would be remiss if I didn’t caution you on some things to consider for 2021 – just to make sure you keep more of that revenue in your pocket.

Areas to watch for 2021

Inventory could be an issue for the first half of the year. According to Cox Automotive, dealers and automakers had 2.87 million unsold vehicles on lot in December – a 200,000 gain over November. While December is historically one of the biggest sales months of the year, this year may be different. The presidential election overhang and the lack of a December stimulus check could stifle those year-end purchases.

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Categories
F&I

Drawbacks of A La Carte F&I

Whether you are a franchise or independent dealer principal, you want to offer the perfect blend of F&I products that match your inventory and your customers – as well as delivering the highest revenue. It can be tempting to pick and choose products from a couple different providers, in search of the perfect mix. But at the end of the day, there are many drawbacks to taking an ‘a la carte’ approach to your F&I menu. Let’s consider a couple of case studies to shed some light on the challenges of an ‘a la carte’ approach.

Independent dealer streamlines F&I, sees business and revenue boost

Novak Motors prides itself on the quality, value, and level of service offered within each rooftop, and has been recognized as the nation’s #1 lease return outlet. With locations in Texas, New York and New Jersey, this leading independent dealer has been recognized by CarGurus, CARFAX, and DealerRater.  But with all of these accolades, there was one major issue. Novak’s sales, F&I and back-office accounting teams were expending vast amounts of valuable time reconciling around three very different F&I providers.

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