Shoppers Are Fine With AI Touching Your Photos. They're Not Fine With It Touching the Truth.
A new survey shows 70% of consumers are comfortable with AI-enhanced product photography, but only as long as it doesn't misrepresent the actual product. Disclosure alone makes a brand meaningfully more trustworthy.
Ford, BlackRock, and Google Just Teamed Up on the Problem Every Dealership Already Has
A new coalition is pairing major companies with labor unions and trade associations to expand apprenticeships, directly addressing the same technician shortage dealerships have been fighting for years.
A Viral TikTok Says Dealerships Are a Scam. Here's the Actual History It Leaves Out.
A satirical video attacking the entire dealership model is making the rounds this week. The real history behind franchise law, and the comment section reaction, is worth unpacking directly.
A Department Store Built a Shopping App Nobody Needed. Then 470,000 People Joined It Anyway.
South Korean retailer The Hyundai built a digital platform around discovery and entertainment instead of speed and price. The results suggest real appetite for the exact opposite of frictionless e-commerce.
Parents Are Spending More on Back-to-School. They're Also Getting Pickier About Where.
A new survey shows back-to-school budgets up nearly 12% this year. Parents are also consolidating trips and rewarding retailers that remove friction, not just the ones with the lowest price.
A Novelist's Warning About AI Isn't Really About Writing. It's About Everyone Who Talks to Customers.
Author Dave Eggers argues that outsourcing your voice to AI is "a crime against yourself." A story from Paul's own flight last week shows exactly what he means, and why it matters well beyond writing.
Malls Are Busier Again. Here's the Lesson Hiding in Why.
Shopping center foot traffic is up across every format in 2026, driven by a broad mix of consumers, not just high earners. The reason people are coming back has a direct lesson for how a dealership uses its own physical space.
He Bet the Farm, Literally, to Buy His First Dealership. Now He Owns the One Where He Started.
Missouri dealer Eric Gentry just bought the dealership where he sold his first car in 1994. His approach to growing it is a clean blueprint for small-group growth.
Europe Wants Your Car to Physically Refuse to Speed. Here's Why That's Harder Than It Sounds.
The EU wants new cars electronically capped at the posted speed limit by 2030. The technology behind it is currently wrong about one in every four times the limit changes.
Nobody Booked a Flight to See Your Waffle House. They're Obsessed With It Anyway.
Millions of World Cup visitors have turned Walmart, Buc-ee's, and Waffle House into must-visit destinations. There's a real lesson in there about what actually makes a brand memorable.
Retail Workers Are Happier Than You'd Guess. Was Auto Retail Even Counted?
A new workforce study shows retail employees near the top for shift happiness, driven by autonomy and predictable schedules rather than pay. Nobody can confirm auto retail was actually part of the sample.
Why Hometown Athletes Are Becoming Dealers' Best Brand Asset
Former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser is investing in a Chino, California dealership now rebranded Orel Hershiser Chevrolet, partnered with 30-year auto retail veteran Eddie Allizadeh. More than 5,000 people showed up to the store's May 28 grand opening.
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.
Americans Are Spending More This Fourth. That Doesn't Mean They're Feeling Better.
Fourth of July spending is climbing again, but higher grocery bills remind us that consumers are still making careful decisions about where their money goes.
Starbucks is adding thousands of new "coffeehouse coach" positions as part of its ongoing turnaround strategy. The company is hiring 300 coaches this month, with plans to expand the role across most of its 10,000 company-operated U.S. stores.
