🚙 Today we're separating the headlines from the opportunities. From trade policy and hybrid demand to OEM partnerships and the service lane, we're looking at what's changing, why it matters for dealers, and where you can respond instead of simply react.
Service Is Becoming the Showroom Dealers Cannot Hide
Customers no longer experience your dealership only in the showroom. Increasingly, they're judging your brand through the service lane, and dealers are redesigning their facilities to reflect that.
Honda and Nissan Are Chasing the Scale Dealers Already Feel
Honda and Nissan's growing partnership isn't just about building future EVs. It's about finding a faster, less expensive way to compete in a market where complexity has become a liability.
I Went on CDG and Ended Up Thinking About Brand (Big Surprise)
Most dealerships start by asking who they should market to. Instead, we should pump the brakes and ask “who are we?” Brand isn't something you create with a logo or a campaign. It's what customers experience every day and technology is only amplifying what's already there.
A Smaller Market Would Make Better Retailers More Valuable
Affordability continues to weigh heavily on the industry. Monthly payments on new vehicles have climbed roughly 30% over the past four years, and nearly one in five new vehicles now carries a payment exceeding $1,000 per month.
Amazon Autos Just Became Another Door Into the Dealership
Amazon didn't replace the dealership. It added another place for customers to begin the buying journey, and that's a model more dealers should be paying attention to.
🚙 Most stores already have inventory data, transaction data, customer data, and service history. But the real operating knowledge often lives in people. How decisions get made. Who handles exceptions. What standards shape the customer experience? What gets said in coaching sessions, meetings, and hallway conversations.
AI is becoming more capable by the week, but I think most dealerships are overlooking a foundational issue. Before AI can communicate, recommend, automate, or improve operations, it needs context. The dealerships documenting how they operate today will be in a much stronger position tomorrow.
