- ASOTU Daily Pushback
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- 🚗 Carvana Buys Another
🚗 Carvana Buys Another
🚙 Sell Outs, Back Up Plans, and Keep More Money
TOGETHER WITH
One week from today, October 1st, 2025, we’ve got big news.
Many of you have already replied to let us know you’re in, and we look forward to sharing with you.
But, in case you missed your chance to get in on the early bird vibes, hit reply and let us know today!
Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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From the Automotive State of the Union
It was one of those mornings where the news cycle felt back. Three big moves shaping auto and beyond:
Carvana Buys Store #2
Carvana’s picking up its second franchised dealership — Park Cities CDJR-Fiat in Dallas. It’s an early test of blending their digital-first model with in-person retail. They’re not taking over 2,000 rooftops tomorrow, but they are pushing everyone to rethink customer experience, branding, and certified inventory strategy.
Buffett Exits BYD
After 17 years, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has sold its entire stake in BYD. A $230M bet turned nearly $9B at its peak. Officially: concerns about China/Taiwan risk. Unofficially: proof EV bets require decades, not quarters.
Amazon Launches AI Ad Assistant
Inside Creative Studio, Amazon rolled out a free conversational AI tool for advertisers. Think campaign ideas, storyboards, and display ads on demand. The play? Level the field for smaller brands — and pressure agencies to adapt.
Which one of these three headlines will matter most in your store five years from now?
From The News w/ ASOTU
Click to read the full digest.
Lucid Gravity “Sells Out”
Online inventory was snapped up in <24 hours. Not demand-driven, but a clever way to manage parts flow — still, the optics were strong.
If you’re not already following Brian Kramer, you should be.
His latest post gets straight to the point: 70% of buyers have a trade, but the average dealer only captures 1 in 3. That gap can mean leaving $864,000 a year on the table for a 150-car store. Those cars don’t vanish — they go to competitors who appraise more, faster, and with less fear.
Volvo Bets on U.S. Hybrids
Volvo’s underused South Carolina plant is getting new life with a hybrid model before 2030. Once planning to phase hybrids out, Volvo’s recalibration signals dealers should prep for a mixed-fuel lineup longer than promised.
Also:
BYD has a backup plan if Nvidia chips get cut off.
Used cars: 36 retail days-to-turn, buyers are more selective.
Honda: New “Blue Stage” store opens in Texas.
How are you planning your 2026 mix:
EV, hybrid, or steady ICE?
Keep More of the Money You Make
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This webinar will show you exactly where the biggest savings are, what targets to aim for, and how to hit them without slowing anything down.
StrategicSource has helped dealers Keep More of the Money They Make for over 30 years. If you want to protect profit without wasting time, this is 30 minutes you can’t afford to skip.
Join us TODAY at 2:00pm EST—grab your seat today!
(Can’t fit us into your schedule? No problem! Register now and we’ll send the video after it premieres.)
EVERYTHING ELSE
Quick Hits
🤖 AI: A fully AI-generated ad at the NBA Finals pulled 3.3M views with just a $2,000 budget.
🛒 Retail: Costco reports +8.7% YOY August sales.
💰 Economy: The U.S. economy is still holding up better than expected in 2025—1.8% growth this year, says the OECD. But 2026 is projected to cool further, with tariffs adding pressure and growth slipping to 1.5%.
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
Virtual F&I: Meeting Customers Where They Are
At NAMAD, Mike Sims (Peak Performance Team) and Charlie Smith (Virtual F&I) broke down the future of F&I in plain English: meet the customer where they are.
Some want the desk. Others want the couch. Their model blends real retail know-how with flexible delivery—centralized, decentralized, or on-demand—without piling up jackets or leaving customers pacing the showroom.
As Charlie put it, “time kills all deals.”
Read the full write-up here!
Today in History
1929: Jimmy Doolittle performs the first flight without a window, proving that full instrument flying from take off to landing is possible. 🧑✈️
1948: The Honda Motor Company is founded. 🆕
1954: AEC Routemaster, the iconic London double-decker bus, was introduced. 🚎
Waking up today is proof that nothing has stopped you yet. Wow wee!
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