I was in Las Vegas last week for NADA. It was a great show. I and my colleague Roberta saw many old friends and made many new friends. We learned more about what is happening in the dealership industry and recruited new contributors.
It was gratifying to hear lots of praise for Automotive Buy Sell Report, but we are always looking for ways to improve. If you have suggestions of content we might add or new audiences who might be interested on our topics, please let me know!
One thing that struck me was how busy buy sell professionals I spoke with are these days. Though some reports have said there was a slow down in buy sells in 2017, that doesn’t seem to be the case for many of the folks I talked to. That momentum continues this year.
The evolution of the dealership business was a hot topic in Las Vegas. Everyone seems sure that things will change – indeed are already changing – but no one seems sure where they will end up. Disruption is a certainty in five, ten, or fifteen years, depending on who you talk to at what time of day.
That’s a bit unsettling, but dealers are a resourceful and resilient bunch. Many are already looking for opportunities in the evolving landscape. Those who aren’t may get left behind was what I heard. Some future articles will look at that issue.
All dealers are familiar with J.D. Power’s voice of the consumer studies, and the weight they carry with auto manufacturers and consumers. But those consumers are changing, and J.D. Power is evolving to keep up with those changes. In this issue find out how Dave Habiger, J.D. Power’s new president and CEO, aims to lead the company into the digital future.
The cyber crime column by Rick White has been more commented on than any column in the history of ABSR. I take that as a sign this is topic our readers are interested in. This week, we have a closer look at one type of cyber crime Dr. White mentions in his piece – phishing. CliftonLarsonAllen’s cyber security expert discusses how a hacker develops personalized phishing emails and how you can fight them.
And, of course, we have Transaction News.
Enjoy!
