Floor plan financing is a revolving credit line that lets a dealer buy inventory, most often vehicles, and repay each unit’s advance when that unit sells. You pay interest and fees only on the units still on the lot, but…
Jaelyn Campbell is a staff writer/reporter for CBT News. She is a recent honors cum laude graduate with a BFA in Mass Media from Valdosta State University. Jaelyn is an enthusiastic creator with more than four years of experience…
Happier customers, increased sales and service revenue and improved used-vehicle inventory all result in higher dealership profitability, writes Mark Allen, CEO of The Recall Co. Guest commentary: Open recalls could unlock billions in dealership service revenue Democrats' midterm victory may…
Both founders bring decades of experience to the venture. Arienti built a career in RV and marine finance with companies including Deutsche Financial Services, GE Financial, Thor Credit Corp. and Ally. During that time, he helped oversee hundreds of millions…
Posted by: John Kirwan in Latest News Wednesday, 4 November 2026 0 Disputes in the used car sector are not driven solely by mechanical or technical issues, according to a new report from The Motor Ombudsman (TMO). The report found that disputes are…
Groupe Olivier, of St-Hubert, Québec, near Montreal, expanded into the U.S. with the acquisition of three dealerships in two southeast Michigan cities. Driving the news: Matt and Laura Bell of Bell Automotive Group were the sellers in the deal…
Although dealerships can win the sale, they can still lose the customer when a long wait in the finance office The post How dealers can keep buyers coming back after the sale appeared first on CBT News. Although dealerships can…
Automotive News Public auto retailers discount service offerings to protect repair profits in Q3 The U.S. new-vehicle market is expected to rise 3.9 to 7.2 percent, helped by an extra selling day and a favorable comparison with October 2025.
Jaelyn Campbell is a staff writer/reporter for CBT News. She is a recent honors cum laude graduate with a BFA in Mass Media from Valdosta State University. Jaelyn is an enthusiastic creator with more than four years of experience…
If there’s one thing that no dealership can afford, it’s having leads fall through the cracks. Yes, some of them could be tire kickers without a lot of real interest in buying, but what about all the ones who could…
For most people, buying a car still means visiting a dealer, and the relationship between automakers, dealers and customers is one of the most contested in retail. In the United States, state franchise laws generally require new cars to be sold through independent dealers rather than by the manufacturers themselves, a system that dealers defend as protecting consumers and competition and critics call a costly middleman. The arrangement has shaped the car business for decades.
The dealer world has seen dramatic swings. During the pandemic-era shortages, lots emptied, buyers paid markups over sticker price and dealers enjoyed record profits. As inventory recovered, discounts and incentives returned and the balance of power shifted back toward shoppers. Tesla's direct-sales model sparked legal battles in many states, and other electric newcomers followed its lead. In Europe, several brands experimented with agency models, in which dealers act as agents for fixed-price sales, with mixed results and some retreats.
This page follows the dealer side of the industry: inventory levels and days' supply, prices, markups and incentives, consolidation among big dealer groups, franchise law disputes, online sales, service departments and the dealer reaction to electric vehicles. It also covers the relationships between dealers and the brands they sell, which can turn tense when strategy, margins or showroom requirements change. For shoppers, it is also the clearest signal of whether this is a good moment to negotiate or a time to wait for the market to turn.
The showrooms where cars meet buyers: inventory swings, markups and discounts, franchise law fights, direct sales, agency models and big dealer groups.
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