TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
Starbucks, I’ma let you finish, but the local drive-thru-only coffee shop in my town is where it’s at.
Every time I visit, they bring the same quality and friendliness. Half the time, they even remember what I’m ordering for my daughter (passion fruit tea with honey). So I stop by often, tip well, and sincerely thank them for being such a good source of that sweet, sweet bean juice. And I’ve never once had to touch an iPad or an app to do it.
That’s why today’s Starbucks story made me smile. One of the biggest brands in the world is chasing what my little coffee shop already gets right: people remember how you made them feel.
In today’s email...
GM’s profits climb on trucks, but costs and a pickup changeover loom
Starbucks says technology should unlock the experience
Canadian Stellantis workers authorize a strike, Honda’s robot-built cars, and Acura’s growth plan
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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ASOTU CON WEST
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GM’s Profits Climb on Trucks, but Costs and a Pickup Changeover Loom
GM’s third quarter was strong. Core profit rose 22% to $4.1 billion on the strength of its pickup business, according to Reuters. But its shares fell about 5% Tuesday as the automaker warned of cost pressures ahead.
What’s working | What’s ahead |
|---|---|
Revenue beat expectations at $50 billion | Fewer truck deliveries in Q4 during the Silverado and Sierra changeover |
A richer mix of big pickups and fewer EVs | About $2 billion in commodity inflation this year, including logistics and memory chips |
A new $20 billion stock buyback | Another $2 billion hit next year if commodity costs don’t ease |
GM’s CFO also said vehicle pricing is relatively flat, and the company will decide whether to raise prices more than normal next year based on how consumers are holding up.
“The consumer has held up remarkably well. We should continue to watch it.” Paul Jacobson, GM CFO
What do GM’s results mean for Chevy and GMC dealers?
Expect tighter truck supply in the fourth quarter as the redesigned Silverado and Sierra roll out. And the hybrid question isn’t going away: an analyst at CFRA blamed GM’s lost market share on its lack of hybrids. Mary Barra told analysts GM “will have hybrids,” but she didn’t give a timeline.
Plan your truck inventory for a lean fourth quarter, and give your customers a reason to wait for the new pickups.
Fix Your Pricing Gap Today
Join us TODAY at 2:00pm for 30 minutes that could change how you price every used car on your lot.
Kyle Pisani of Drive Point Auto Group and Josh Gonsenhauser of Cox Automotive are showing how automated pricing works in practice, including what moves a price, what stays under dealer control, and how the team handles exceptions.
Drive Point saw improvements in turn rate and profitability after putting the process to work.
If your pricing still depends on someone manually catching every market move, get in the room.
(Can’t make it? Register anyway and we’ll send you the video.)
Starbucks Says Technology Should Unlock the Experience
Starbucks COO Mike Grams told Restaurant Business Magazine the company is putting human connection back at the center of its operations. Local coffeehouse leaders now make more of their own decisions, and leaders are expected to coach and develop their people. His rule for every new tool is simple: “Technology should unlock the experience, not be the experience.”
Why does human connection matter more as technology grows?
“Customers appreciate speed and convenience, but they most remember how you made them feel.” Mike Grams, Starbucks
Look at every tool in your store and ask one question: does it give your team more time with customers, or less?
Unifor members approved a strike authorization by 97.3%, after talks stalled over Stellantis’ plan to sell its Brampton Assembly Plant near Toronto, which employs more than 2,000 union members.
They aren’t in a legal strike position yet, since Canadian law requires either side to first notify the government that talks have failed. Stellantis says it remains committed to bargaining in good faith.
A strike could affect production at Stellantis’ Canadian plants, so it’s one for Stellantis dealers to watch.
Honda is redesigning cars to be built by robots.
Toyota and Honda are testing humanoid robots in Japanese factories, with Toyota planning 400,000 new robots and $6.3 billion a year in investment starting in 2028. Honda’s CEO says future vehicles will be designed for robot assembly, which could become a meaningful path to more affordable cars.
Acura targets 200,000 US sales by 2030.
Acura showed dealers plans for five new and updated models, including a rugged Passport-based crossover and a three-row flagship, to grow from about 133,000 sales last year. Dealers like the styling but not the timeline.
“Unfortunately, we’re about two years out from getting the new product,” one said.
🧭 Side Roads
Minivan values keep sliding, partly because vehicles held back by an open recall are now flooding auctions, Black Book reports.
Polestar and Oxford wired drivers with heart monitors and eye trackers to measure how performance feels. One driver said the faster car “makes you feel like a better driver than you are.”
1879: Thomas Edison successfully tests a long-lasting incandescent light bulb.
1915: AT&T sends the first transatlantic radiotelephone transmission, from Virginia to Paris.
1959: The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opens in New York City.
Thanks for reading, Friend! Where do you get your favorite coffee?
