New light-vehicle sales showed signs of recovery in May, with a SAAR of 12.21 million units. While this represents a decline of 29.8% compared to May 2019, it is a marked improvement over the 47.9% decrease last month. April appears to have been the bottom of the slump for new-vehicle sales, which improved throughout May as many state and local…

One of the things I’ve always said about the car business is that we’re a big family. Our stores employ more than a million people across America, across thousands of local communities. The wonderful result of this geographic diversity is an organic cultural diversity among dealership employees. Folks who work for dealerships look like their…

There are some new and exciting changes coming to ATD’s annual Show. The most important change for our members to note is that the ATD Show will not be held in 2021. Instead, mark your calendars for our best and brightest event to return in 2022 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the annual NADA Show. This change in our Show…

Digital analytics have been around for a long time. But it took a norm-shattering event like the pandemic to make this data vital to business owners. When COVID-19 shuttered showrooms and kept employees home, digital retailing became a necessity for many auto dealers. But simply conducting sales online is not enough. In today’s complex business…

For the automotive retail industry, signs of recovery are starting to emerge as dealers concurrently face uncertainty in the coronavirus environment. While full recovery is months ahead, Chairman Rhett Ricart, and President and CEO Peter Welch addressed dealers during NADA’s second all-dealer virtual town hall on Thursday, May 22. The NADA leaders…

Reopening dealerships safely requires a comprehensive checklist that includes every aspect of the business: facilities, inventory and employees. Ian Grace, senior manager of partner performance at automotiveMastermind, shared his comprehensive approach for opening the doors safely and efficiently. In the Lifeline Series webinar Proactive…

“America’s auto dealers are putting people back to work,” said NADA Chairman Rhett Ricart in a recent video message to dealers, employees and customers. “We’re leading the way to reopen our doors, safely, and to help restart America’s economy efficiently.” Dealers across the country have been supporting their communities during this time…

A pandemic changes everything about the world. It alters our sense of safety, old ideas of normalcy and patterns of behavior. But it can also bring out the best in us as we’re forced to overcome obstacles through teamwork, tenacity and courage. The truck dealers of America have not sat still during COVID-19. Just the opposite: they’ve worked…

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) on Wednesday announced that President and CEO Peter Welch will be retiring at the end of 2020. Welch, 67, was appointed by the NADA Board of Directors in January 2013 to head the organization. Under his leadership, NADA strengthened its core mission of advocating on behalf of franchised dealers…

Retailing has moved primarily online for nearly every business during the coronavirus pandemic, including for America’s franchised new-car and -truck dealers. For business owners, monitoring and continuously examining profitability is more vital than ever. As part of the Dealership Lifeline Webinar Series, NADA Academy instructor Michael Lucki…