NADA: U.S. Dealers Employ More Than 1 Million People

MCLEAN, Va. — A rebounding U.S. economy and rising auto sales are having a positive impact on the employment outlook at franchised new-car dealerships across the country, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. According to the group’s NADA Data 2014 report, which contains dealership sales and financial trends, employment at U.S. franchised dealerships topped one million people last year after falling during the recession in 2009. The exact count in 2013 was 1,008,800 people employed, up 3.4% from the previous year. New-car...

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Sales Pick Up in Late May

BANDON, Ore. — The first 15 days of May showed a modest 6% increase in vehicle deliveries, but the pace picked up toward the end of the month, according to CNW Research. The firm said deliveries were on pace to increase 11% from a year ago. CNW pointed to a decrease in its Jitter Index as a reason (down .73% from April and down 1.12% from a year ago). It measures consumer sentiment regarding home-centric economic issues. “Americans are less jittery about their home-centric plight than either last year or last month — a positive sign that they...

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Cars.com: Service Department Reputation a Key Factor in Car-Buying Decision

By: Cars.com CHICAGO — A majority of consumers seek out online reviews about a dealership’s service department before making a car-buying decision, according to results from a survey commissioned by Cars.com In an independent Harris Poll, 64% of in-market shoppers indicated that a service department’s reputation is a factor when choosing where to purchase a vehicle. Furthermore, the research revealed more than half (57%) of shoppers would seek out a dealership’s service department reviews before purchasing a vehicle. “These new findings show...

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Car Shoppers Don’t Focus on Rock-Bottom Price

By: Edmunds SANTA MONICA, Calif. — About 20% of car shoppers consider themselves “extreme price grinders” who will take as much time as they can to get the lowest possible price on a new or used car, according to a new report released by Edmunds.com. In fact, according to Edmunds.com officials said, a clear majority of car shoppers (64%) value the importance of saving both money and time in the shopping process. “These findings dispel the myth that car shoppers will do whatever it takes to pay a rock-bottom price,” said Edmunds.com President...

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Study: Moms Prefer to Shop Online and Negotiate in Person

Source: Auto Dealer Monthly CHICAGO — Nearly three of four (73%) moms consider themselves to be the “sole decision-maker” in the vehicle shopping process, according to a study conducted by C+R Research and commissioned by Cars.com. As a growing number of consumers turn to online resources for information and transparency when making major purchases, women with children have emerged as a highly engaged group of shoppers. The study found that 71% of moms agree that shopping online for a new or used vehicle makes the process much easier, but...

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