TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
Four data sources just told us the same thing: your shoppers are more confident than last month, but their budgets haven't caught up yet. That gap is where deals get made this week, if you know how to talk about it.
Also today: Nissan admits chasing volume cost it its brand, and two EV makers prove growth means nothing without stability behind it.
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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The Market Is Strong and Selective
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What today's data means for the conversations you're having
Last week, Black Book, Cox Automotive, Edmunds, and the University of Michigan all dropped numbers worth paying attention to. Put together, they answer a simple question: what changed, and how should dealers talk about it differently?
Start with wholesale. On the surface, the numbers look soft.
Wholesale values slipped 0.31% week over week
Trucks and SUVs led the decline, down 0.37%
Auction conversion eased from 58% to 57%
That looks like fading demand. Cox Automotive's data tells a fuller story: new vehicle transaction trends stayed solid through mid-June, and used values are simply tracking normal seasonal patterns. Wholesale buyers are getting pickier. Retail buyers haven't disappeared.
So Why Do Shoppers Feel Better, and Still Hesitate?
Consumer sentiment jumped 10.5% in June, which sounds like a green light. Look closer and the picture is more mixed.
Gains came almost entirely from future expectations
Over half still say high prices hurt today
New payments average $772 a month
Used payments average $572, up $12 from May
People feel better about tomorrow. Their budgets haven't caught up yet.
Where The Rubber Meets The Road
Customers aren't short on optimism right now.
They're short on certainty.
That gap is exactly where communication earns its keep. A shopper who feels hopeful about the future but cautious about the payment isn't a lost sale — they're someone waiting for a reason to feel sure. Showing them what the market is actually doing, in plain terms, does more to move them off the fence than any incentive will. Confidence closes deals faster than discounts do.
Where AI Is Delivering Real Results
AI is changing how dealerships see and act on opportunities, and it’s already making an impact.
Join Reynolds Vice President AJ McGowan to see how dealers are using AI in practical ways to improve visibility across departments, respond faster, and make more confident decisions.
Whether you’re evaluating your current technology or planning your next investment, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of where AI is delivering value today and where it can help your dealership next.
Nissan Is Trying to Buy Back Its Brand, Not Just Its Sales.
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Nissan's U.S. market share has slid from roughly 9% a decade ago to about 6% today, and CEO Ivan Espinosa says chasing volume through incentives and fleet sales is part of why. The recovery plan leans on a hybrid Rogue, the return of the Xterra, and healthier retail growth over sheer volume.
Volume can fill a sales report. Brand equity determines whether customers come back without being paid to.
The lesson travels beyond Nissan: the vehicles customers see in rental lots and the incentives they remember become part of your brand story too.
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Rivian's Bet Is Paying Off. Lucid Is Still Finding Its Footing.
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Rivian's Q2 deliveries rose 14%,
and it raised full-year guidance after launching the R2, its first mass-market vehicle.
Lucid also grew — deliveries up 19% — but paired that growth with a new CFO and a leadership shakeup under a CEO who's only been in the role since April.
Growth without stability is a headline. Growth with stability is a strategy.
Retail auto finally has one place to see where the industry is gathering next.
Retail Auto Events brings premier conferences, trainings, webinars, and meetups into one easy calendar built for dealers, vendors, and everyone trying to keep up with the retail auto circuit.
Browse upcoming events, catch recaps and coverage from past ones, subscribe for updates, and add the calendar feed so the next big industry moment lands right where you already plan your schedule.
Subscribe, sync the calendar, and keep the retail auto industry’s biggest moments on your radar before they hit your feed—check it out.
🚘 Auto
Honda's CR-V just dethroned the F-150 and RAV4 as the best-selling vehicle in America, thanks largely to supply — not demand — advantages.
Chevy's redesigned Silverado is getting new V-8 engines, a bolder look, and a high-tech interior. Nothing subtle about this refresh.
Spy shots show Ford's compact electric truck in testing, expected to land around $30K. Small footprint, small price tag, big questions about margins.
🧠 Big Brain Energy
Scientists found a deep-sleep brain circuit that builds muscle, burns fat, and boosts cognition. Turns out the biohack was just sleeping.
New CRISPR tech lets researchers switch gene editing on and off with a small molecule — basically a dimmer switch for DNA.
A new survey found 71% of gamers still want physical discs. Someone forward this to Sony.
🌀 Well, That's Odd
Mystery space balls washed up on an Australian beach and nobody's sure what they are yet. 2026 remains undefeated.
A Mars rock is loaded with carbon scientists can't explain. Cool planet, weirder secrets.
Super Typhoon Bavi just became the third Category 5 storm of the year. The Pacific is not playing around this summer.
1785: The U.S. Congress unanimously resolves to name the US currency the "dollar" and adopts decimal coinage. 💵
1924: The first photo is sent experimentally across the Atlantic by radio from the U.S. to England. 📸
1945: Nicaragua becomes the first nation to ratify the United Nations Charter. 🕊️
