TK Carsites

Every four years, many people hold their breath.  It’s not their lungs that they tighten up - it’s their pocketbooks.  Non-essential spending is pulled back and the car business takes the hit.

I’m talking about Election Day, of course.  When we decide as a country who to put in the White House, there is a natural tendancy for many to delay major decisions until after the results.  The funny part is that, regardless of who wins, those people who were waiting are still going to buy a vehicle regardless of which side they were on.

Call it the "Brace for Impact" philosophy.  Call it whatever you want.  People who need a car will buy a car.  Even if the election has very little impact on their purchasing decision, it’s a common perception that it will, so people wait.  With the economy in its current state, this is probably amplified even more.

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Technorati Tags: Car Sales, election

It’s a tough market.  We all know that.  BusinessWeek paints a grim picture with two recent articles, one that shows that auto sales have been sliding for 11 straight months and another that shows a shakedown for domestic auto dealers.  For dealers to avoid being a statistic, they have to take the bull by the horns, roll up their sleeves, and do something that many have not done in a long time.

They have to take chances

This doesn’t mean that car dealers need to bet their flooplan money on the ponies or start buying shares in AIG.  What they need to do if they want to have a chance in this volatile automotive market is to get out of the mentality that the Internet is something on the side and really dive in head-first.  It is an investment, and one that can truly make a difference in the level of success a dealership can enjoy.

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Technorati Tags: automotive websites, jim bradford, tk carsites

The economy is down, but help is on the way.

Gas prices are high, but they seem to be looking better than they have in recent months.

Competition is tight, but both the OEMs and other dealers are doing things to bring that level down a bit.

Overall, it appears that the automotive industry is ready to be rejuvenated in the coming months.  Before the skeptic in all of us starts chiming in, consider the following points:

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Technorati Tags: car business

Sports Utility Vehicles seem to be a dying breed.  They will never die, of course, as many people still need the space and capabilities that are attached to them.

Still, the casual SUV buyer who simply liked the comfort, the way they look, the commanding view, the status, or a combination of these and other reasons are the ones who aren’t buying them.  Gas approached $5.00 per gallon for a while and it scared people.  Sales dropped, then prices dropped, then sales continued to drop and the manufacturers started panicking.

For car dealers, now that gas has been on a steady price-drop trend for a little over a month, now is the perfect time to unload as much of your inventory as possible.  Using math and the promise of prudence (and comfort) and you will be able to succeed.

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Technorati Tags: economy, gas, suv