Do you have a strategic plan for the second half of this year? Granted, the retail automotive industry has been on a roller coaster lately. But now is the time to assess your dealership’s performance over the past two quarters and set some milestones to achieve your end-of-year profit metrics. A successful second half of 2022 will require some flexibility and willingness to change behavior.
Looking ahead, there are several factors which spell opportunity for dealers to capture notable revenue in the second half of the year. Strong consumer financial positions, credit terms which remain largely favorable, and continued pent-up demand bode well for savvy dealers. While the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates and recession rumblings linger, consumer financing is still discounted when compared to rates during the Great Recession. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) quarterly report, aggregate monthly personal income has rebounded to pre-pandemic averages and auto loan volume has recovered faster than in previous down-turns.
For dealers, these favorable credit terms also spell revenue opportunities for those who strategically manage their inventory purchasing and pipeline sales. While inventory and supply chains remain an issue, the wheels are beginning to turn and factories are cranking out more units, albeit maybe ones without heated seats or auto-folding mirrors. Used car inventory is also improving, with bulk-sellers like CarMax reporting sufficient inventory to meet 30 days’ worth of demand. Rising interest rates may also be working in the industry’s favor for once, prompting a bit of a cooling effect on demand and allowing OEMs to catch up.