By Bob George, AVP of Product, Dealer.com

If dealers have learned anything over the last few years, it’s to stay on their toes. Whether they have leaned into digital retailing or overhauled their consumer privacy protocols, dealerships have seen more innovation in the last two years than many have seen in their whole careers. The marketing game has also fundamentally changed. It’s no longer about being everywhere all the time. With the right data, dealers can market more efficiently and reach the right consumer, with the right message, at just the right time.  

An industry-wide movement is taking place and dealerships who resist or don’t get onboard risk seeing their lots get left in the dust. The million-dollar question is: How do dealers embrace this revolution and make the RIGHT marketing changes to support the current landscape and set them up for success in the future?

Get Personal

As consumer behavior changes and digital competition continues to increase, dealerships must figure out how to cut through the noise and get personal with consumers. That starts with figuring out how to make your best offerings discoverable. But it’s not enough to focus on new customers; you also need to tie these acquisition efforts to retention, which drives long-term, sustainable growth.

Remember, a seamless experience isn’t just cross-channel marketing, it's about moving customers along the buyer journey with traditional marketing tactics, while instilling a long-term sense of loyalty and value. Find the balance between what the consumer wants to get out of any given interaction with your brand and what your business needs to get out of it, then make sure to keep the barrier to entry for consumers as low as possible.

Data is Gold

Dealers decrease the leads they generate by 164% if they fail to use a data-driven, multichannel strategy. However, marketers need to do more than just gather data—the data needs to be meaningful to improve marketing campaigns.

To future proof your marketing, intent data is key. Intent data is information specifically about a person or company's activities. It can be gathered from a company website by looking at which pages a customer visited, how long they stayed on those pages, and which links they clicked or procured from a third party. Intent data can be used to prioritize the best customer prospects and create more personalized campaigns to drive better conversion. 

By Bob George, AVP of Product, Dealer.com

By: Derek Hansen, vice president of wholesale, vAuto

Vehicle wholesaling was turned on its head during the pandemic, and I would argue that it’s changed for the better. Even with physical wholesaling options, more dealers than ever are turning to digital wholesale platforms to purchase inventory. That’s a great thing for sellers, as more eyeballs on their cars have no doubt contributed to the banner profitability most have seen in wholesale recently. However, it’s important to realize that the recent seller success has much more to do with market conditions (high wholesale values and limited inventory) than a newfound strategy or discipline.

And since we all know that what goes up in wholesale usually comes back down—at least to some degree—now is the time to make the strategic shift that can help sellers keep their wholesale efforts generating profits.

Progressive dealers are already rewriting the rules of wholesaling. The most successful ones are starting at the time of acquisition—a shift from the traditional retail-first approach.

Deciding when to wholesale a vehicle has changed.

With tight supply in used cars over the last year, we’ve seen a rise in dealers activating “we’ll buy your car” campaigns just to get inventory, sometimes even flipping those vehicles right into wholesale. As wholesale values appreciated month after month, dealers realized that, in some cases, wholesaling the vehicle right away represented the exit strategy that made the most financial sense for the vehicle and the dealership. This double-barreled evaluation of each vehicle’s retail or wholesale exit, at the time of acquisition, represents a competitive advantage for dealers who need to make money with every vehicle they acquire, irrespective of whether the profit comes from the retail or wholesale market. 

And with the ease of offsite wholesaling—where dealers can sell vehicles right from their lots—the process of getting a vehicle into the wholesale marketplace has been dramatically transformed. Offsite solutions such as Manheim Express eliminate transport costs since the vehicles don’t have to be moved to a physical auction, while also enabling those vehicles to get listed quickly with leading condition tools to showcase them well. Sellers love it, and buyers do too, as evidenced by the triple digital growth Manheim Express has seen year-over-year.

With all these trends converging, it’s no wonder that we’ve started to see some of that double-edged thinking already put in motion. That approach has served dealers well in this market—and it has the potential to continue serving them as the market shifts back closer to normal.

What happens when the market goes back to “normal”?

We firmly believe that wholesale can and should be profitable in any market—and that’s where Cox’ Automotive’s new Upside™ solution comes in. When dealers get a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer for a vehicle and then select to wholesale it in the Upside Direct digital auction, they will know at the time of appraisal what their minimum profit will be—no matter what the vehicle actually sells for. 

All vehicles are listed with no reserves and bids start at 50% of MMR, so the unit will almost certainly sell. And if the vehicle sells for a price above the Upside minimum, the seller gets to keep the lion’s share of the additional profit. Ultimately, Upside gives sellers even more reasons to lean into a new approach, as it offers an easier and more assured opportunity to maximize profitability for their vehicles.

You may be wondering how we can be so confident in this new way to wholesale that we practically guarantee sellers wholesale profit in any market conditions. The answer is simple. We’ve taken every piece of research, data and best practice we’ve learned from touching the entire retail-to-wholesale process for decades and put them all into practice in one seamless experience.

ATLANTA, June 30, 2020 – Finding yourself in the market for a new car during a pandemic might have you asking if now is even the right time to buy or how you can get a good deal on your next purchase. The all-new version of any given car will likely offer safety and technology improvements over the previous version, but if getting a “new to you” car at the lowest price is your goal, you might want to look at a lightly used car. To help car buyers find the best, highly-rated, value-oriented and well-equipped vehicles, the experts at Autotrader recently named the 10 Best Used Cars of 2020 that are great alternatives to a new car.

“Budget-friendly doesn’t have to be boring. Buying used can reduce your monthly car payment, while still getting the latest in safety, convenience and technology in a fun-to-drive model,” said Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader. “Our selections are highly-rated and spotlight some of the best vehicles for overall value, performance and popularity with Autotrader shoppers.”

Saving up to buy a car can be hard. The cost of new cars is rising — the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the U.S. for May was $38,940 — and that has many drivers seeking more affordable used options. Check out the latest selections (unranked in alphabetical order) from the editors at Autotrader.

Autotrader's 10 Best Used Cars of 2020

Audi Q7

New or used, this is one of the world’s most perfect SUVs. However, you have to get the right year to get the best version of the Q7. We recommend the 2017–2019 version. The previous Q7 is lacking the elegance of other Audi vehicles. Regarding the redone Q7, our editors said things like, "This is the definition of luxury,” "What a modern luxury SUV should be" and "Perfectly executed."

Chevrolet Malibu

Forget everything you’ve known about past versions of the Chevrolet Malibu. The well-known sedan was totally updated for 2016 and our editors called it "surprisingly competitive" and "one of the best-looking cars in the class.” The Malibu also feels agile and light on its feet, and then there’s the fact that you can get a well-equipped new Malibu LT for a fairly reasonable $29,000 with shipping. That makes the used versions even more affordable. Our verdict: If you’re shopping for a used Camry, Accord, Fusion or Sonata, you need to try out the Malibu too. Look for a 2016 or newer model to get the best looking one and the most features for your money.

Chrysler Pacifica

An all-new and very luxurious minivan for the 2017 model year, the Chrysler Pacifica turns a lot of heads. This van is nothing like the previous versions — the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Our editors said, simply, it’s "the best minivan on the market." Also, there’s a plug-in hybrid version, if fuel-sipping is your thing. Look for a 2017 or newer Pacifica for the best deal.

Ford F-Series Pickup

It’s popular for a reason and an all-new version is about to show up at your local Ford dealer. The F-150 as well as the F-250 are consistently in the top three when it comes to the most researched vehicles on Autotrader. Also, these Ford pickups are typically the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. year after year. Sitting pretty at the intersection of popular and good is the Ford F-150 Raptor. It’s now been 10 years since the Raptor was introduced, and the competition has yet to catch up. Look for 2015–2017 models for the best deals. 

Honda Accord Hybrid

Like the F-150, the Honda Accord is consistently what car shoppers search for on Autotrader. While the 2013 to 2017 models are the best in terms of value, features and style, we really like the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid. The Accord Hybrid has a spotty availability record, as it was introduced, then dropped, then re-introduced. If you want a hybrid sedan that’s comfortable, quick, reliable and attractive, look for a 2015 or newer Accord Hybrid. New or used, the Accord Hybrid is simply the best hybrid sedan available.

Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai has been quietly building a stellar reputation, thanks to great cars like the Sonata and Elantra as well as the Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs. If you’re thinking a used Hyundai is going to be permanently in the bargain-bin, you might be surprised. Savvy shoppers are getting the idea that these cars are nicely equipped and reliable. Yes, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata is great. However, Autotrader just named Hyundai as the Best Certified Pre-Owned Program for non-luxury cars. If you're researching sedans, we think the 2018 or newer Sonata is worth a look.

Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue gets a major update for 2021, but the previous version is a perfectly good small SUV. It's similar in size to other compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V; however, find the right year and the Rogue is available with a third-row seat. And when you look around the Rogue’s interior, you get the sense that Nissan’s giving you a premium product at a regular price. There’s a lot of crossover goodness here for the money. Look for a 2015 or 2016 model for the best compromise of comfort and price.

Porsche Macan

When Porsche’s groundbreaking Cayenne first came out, there was much hand-wringing by enthusiasts who couldn’t bear the thought of an SUV wearing the Porsche crest. Fast-forward a decade or so, and it turns out that the Cayenne was ahead of its time. These days, sport-luxury crossovers are all the rage, and a Porsche Macan (Porsche's compact crossover slated beneath the Cayenne) would be a great used car choice. Best of all, the head-turning Macan will likely be the most affordable four-door Porsche you can find, making it an appealing alternative to a wide range of vehicles. We like the 2016-2018 Macans due to their appealing price and safety features.

Toyota Highlander

Legendary Toyota reliability combined with a comfortable, three-row SUV — that's the Toyota Highlander in a nutshell. We recommend a 2015 or newer version for the most modern conveniences. Then, even the base Highlander LE came nicely equipped with a rear backup camera, 18-in alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, eight-passenger seating and Bluetooth. If you’re looking for a certified pre-owned car, Toyota has one of the better programs. Certified used Toyota customers get 12 months or 12,000 miles of limited bumper to bumper warranty which starts the day you buy your used Toyota. The program also extends the powertrain warranty to a total of seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Volkswagen GTI

The GTI has always been more about overall excellence than jaw-dropping acceleration, but thanks to a new engine under the hood for the 2015 model year, the Mk7 can build some serious speed. A used GTI offers one of the most space-efficient cabins in the business. Though it’s definitely a compact car, the GTI can easily accommodate a pair of 6-footers in its roomy back seat. It’s like having a compact SUV in your garage, except the GTI’s a whole lot sportier than one of those. One thing we like about the GTI over the Volkswagen Golf is the much larger 8-in touchscreen, which tilts toward the driver for ease of use.

To learn more about the 10 Best Used Cars of 2020, including photos, vehicle information and available inventory, visit https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/10-best-used-cars-of-2020.

Extraordinary times demand extraordinary service where online services are more important than ever before. Autotrader is reaching car shoppers in a way that is both safe and convenient by delivering an easy, informational and virtual shopping and buying experience. For more information on Autotrader’s Dealer Home Services, visit https://www.autotrader.com/information/dealer-home-services.

Consumers can stay up-to-date on the latest Coronavirus news and advice for car owners and shoppers from Autotrader editors at https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/coronavirus-news-and-advice-car-owners-and-shoppers-281474980000716.

For more information and news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Autotrader_com (or @Autotrader_com), Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, add us on Snapchat (@Autotrader_com),
at https://www.linkedin.com/company/autotrader-com, and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered car shopper looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing and retailing solutions allow consumers to build their deal online, and guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com. 

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues of $21 billion. coxautoinc.com

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Introducing a new and more user-friendly look, feel and functionality to help dealers get used inventory front-line ready faster

Oakbrook Terrace, IL. – June 2, 2020 – iRecon announces a fully revamped reconditioning platform to help dealers gain transparency and eliminate bottlenecks keeping inventory from reaching the front line. Equipped with a new and intuitive user interface, dealer-vendor mobile application and location tracking, iRecon’s enhanced solution was developed through client feedback and market research, taking into consideration what dealers want and need to further optimize the reconditioning workflow in today’s environment.

As the auto retail industry continues to adapt to a new way of working and shopping in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, time and cost efficiency have never been more important. This is particularly pertinent to the reconditioning process – every day a used vehicle sits in service or waits on a vendor for reconditioning, dealers lose valuable sales opportunities. By enabling more informed and calculated decisions, the iRecon platform helps dealers spend the right money on the right vehicle for the right reason to take reconditioning from an expense to an advantage.

“Amid today’s uncertain economy, dealers may only have one shot to win a sale. Spending money wisely to better streamline reconditioning and get quality vehicles in front of customers faster will be vital to finding success and getting stores back to profitability,” said Mike Boyd, senior director of business enablement and founder of iRecon. “At iRecon, we are focused on providing dealers with the tools they need to help turn pennies into dollars by enhancing communications with vendors, boosting productivity and ensuring transparent time to front-line ready.”

The revamped iRecon platform features five major tool and capability enhancements for dealers:

- Recon Dashboard: View the status of any vehicle and take action based on valuable reconditioning metrics that can be tailored to a dealership’s unique workflow.

- iRecon Mobile: Communicate with reconditioning vendors in real time on the go through push, workflow and comment notifications from any iOS or Android device. Introducing more transparency into the reconditioning process, dealers can also send and receive photos and use VIN scanning to maintain efficiency.

- Location Tracking: Save time and quickly pinpoint where physical vehicles are on the lot through GPS technology.

- Recon Templates: Build custom plan templates to get the reconditioning process started in only two clicks.

- Provision Integration: Make more informed used car decisions by leveraging industry-leading vAuto data throughout the reconditioning process. With appraisal notes and reconditioning estimates automatically flowing from Provision into iRecon, dealers also gain early insight to help improve each vehicle’s time to front line.

“Greater visibility into the reconditioning workflow, costs and how long it will take to get a vehicle front-line ready is crucial to making sure every dollar counts right now,” said Jim Farkas, General Manager, Germain Honda of Ann Arbor and MINI of Ann Arbor in Michigan. “The refreshed iRecon platform makes communicating with internal team members and vendors simple and provides our team with the strategic insight and easy navigation necessary to ensure accountability and seamlessly track and complete reconditioning work.”

For more information on iRecon, visit https://www.vauto.com/products/irecon/.

About vAuto

vAuto® provides innovative technology, tools and business intelligence to thousands of dealerships across the United States and Canada, helping them compete more effectively and increase new/used vehicle sales volumes and profits. Founded in 2005, vAuto revolutionized dealers’ used vehicle operations with the groundbreaking Provision® suite of tools. Leveraging The Velocity Method of Management®, pioneered by vAuto founder, Dale Pollak, Provision helped dealers adopt a more transparent- and turn-focused approach to used vehicle acquisition, appraising, pricing and merchandising based on real-time, local market supply-and-demand data. vAuto’s solutions also include Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing system, and Stockwave, which enables dealers to efficiently find and purchase vehicles from leading wholesale sources via a single platform. In 2018, vAuto released the Provision ProfitTime metric and methodology to help dealers maximize inventory turn and gross profit based on the investment value or profit potential of each vehicle. The same year, the company expanded its integrations with Cox Automotive’s HomeNet unit and acquired iRecon, an online reconditioning workflow platform. The moves extend vAuto’s efficiency-focused used vehicle management solutions into vehicle merchandising and reconditioning.

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto is a Cox Automotive™ brand.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues of $21 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Purchase protection solution gives dealers greater confidence, peace of mind with vehicle purchases.

ATLANTA – February 20, 2020 – What do the numbers 30 billion and two million have in common? They’re both key milestones that DealShield, the wholesale industry’s best purchase protection solution, surpassed recently—all due to dealers’ ongoing satisfaction with the guarantee. In January, DealShield’s DS360 issued its two millionth guarantee and in December, reached $30 billion in vehicle value guaranteed. Launched nationally in 2014, DS360 Return Guarantee helps dealers reduce reconditioning costs, eliminate costly mistakes, redeploy capital quickly and gain greater confidence in their wholesale purchases by offering a truly hassle-free return experience.

The two millionth DS360 guarantee was issued on a 2017 GMC YUKON in Dark Sapphire Metallic Blue, bought at Manheim Pennsylvania on January 10. Gary Coppa of Jim Price Chevrolet in Charlottesville, VA, a DS360 client since 2015, made the milestone purchase.

“We’ve been on DealShield for five years and love the no-hassle process,” Coppa shared. “Knowing that I can get money back, including the buy fee, if I make a mistake gives me extra peace of mind. On top of that, it saves me time and transport fees by letting me return vehicles to the location closest to me—even if it’s not where I purchased.” 

With the DS360 Return Guarantee, dealers can purchase a vehicle at a participating location in-lane or online. If it doesn't meet their expectations, they can return it to any of the 125 locations within the DealShield Network for a full refund of the vehicle purchase price and buy fee — no arbitration required. With these two major milestones, it’s clear that dealers across the nation are finding great value in DealShield’s DS360 guarantee. 

In fact, a recent survey showed that client satisfaction is strong among current DealShield clients, driven by their recognition of its impact to their bottom line. Of those surveyed, 72% said they are extremely satisfied, 89% reported that the solution gives them peace mind and the vast majority said that DealShield makes them more confident buying online. 

“DealShield’s number one goal has always been to help dealers buy more confidently in the wholesale marketplace,” said Brett Woods, vice president of Assurance at Cox Automotive. “And as more and more dealers buy digitally, that confidence will become even more important, as it gives them an easy out if a vehicle isn’t what they expected.”

Using DealShield’s DS360 Return Guarantee, dealers can opt for a 21-day guarantee or upgrade to a 30-day guarantee. Either way, subscribing dealers can easily return a protected vehicle and quickly redeploy that capital to acquire another unit. DS360 subscribers can extend their protection window even further when they transport their purchases with Ready Logistics through a partnership solution called “Ready. Set. Pause.” which enables dealers to effectively stop the clock on their days of DealShield coverage while a vehicle is in transit. 

For more information about the DealShield DS360 Return Guarantee, visit DealShield.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five countries and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Digital gateway offers unmatched access and personalization, enabling smarter and faster decisions.

ATLANTA (February 15, 2020) – The digital revolution is here and is responsible for nearly half of Manheim’s wholesale vehicle transactions. With more and more clients choosing digital channels for a more personalized experience and one-stop access to anytime and anywhere solutions, Manheim created the all-new Manheim.com—the ultimate digital gateway to a more connected world of automotive wholesale and remarketing.  

“Reflecting on 75 years of serving clients this year, we’re excited about helping dealers meet the complex challenges of the digital transformation era,” said Grace Huang, president of Manheim. “The new Manheim.com experience combines the type of personalization, physical auction excitement and learning resources that clients are looking for so they can better compete.”   

With the most wholesale buyers, sellers and vehicle inventory, the new Manheim.com provides clients the industry’s most expansive and connected wholesale marketplace experience.  Manheim worked closely with clients throughout the process of building the new Manheim.com, and the efficiency of the new layout was driven by in-depth analysis of the most frequently used areas of the legacy site. For example, if buyers and sellers used a feature a lot—like MMR—Manheim brought it to the homepage, one click away.

The new Manhiem.com now provides unmatched connectivity, offering solution-oriented features that will further enable buyers and sellers to do business the way they want to. With faster access to favorite tools, new standards for vehicle information across channels and an enhanced Simulcast experience, clients can transact more confidently and efficiently—whether at their desks or on the go.

One of the biggest time savers for buyers in the new Manheim.com is its personalization, which makes searching for inventory faster and smarter. New search enhancements drive velocity by reducing the time it takes to find inventory through recognizing a dealer’s transactional history and offering enhanced filtering capabilities. And best of all, the site’s new AI capabilities serve up smart vehicle recommendations based on clients’ one-of-a-kind search and purchase history. These features combine to make finding the right inventory a breeze, which is a good for buyers as it is for sellers looking to move inventory quickly.

For sellers, a completely reimagined Selling Center provides them with a snapshot of their overall inventory at-a-glance, enabling them to confidently track, optimize and execute their vehicle portfolio management strategy across channels. The all-new Selling Center introduces new data points and inventory groupings that allow sellers to quickly see inventory totals across channels, as well as specific inventory counts that highlight listings that may need attention or action. All of these enhancements are designed to help sellers save time and maximize profits.

“As more dealers adopt digital channels, we have the opportunity to reinvent the industry and foster more confident and efficient transactions for our clients,” said Zach Hallowell, vice president of Manheim Digital. “The new Manheim.com is a huge leap forward—setting a new standard in the wholesale industry—but we’re not stopping there. We will continue to enhance the experience and add new tools and solutions as we move forward.”

In addition to collecting feedback during development of the new Manheim.com, the company has been testing the site with an increasing number of buyers and sellers. Clients have shared that they appreciate how the personalization, vehicle recommendations and flexibility to move seamlessly across devices in particular help them wholesale faster and better.

Ultimately, the new Manheim.com experience is a one-stop destination, offering easy access to Manheim’s collection of best-in-class wholesale tools, products and services, complemented by an enhanced Learning Center designed to support every step of a dealer’s wholesale vehicle strategy. The Learning Center offers clients buying, selling and services tutorials that make it easier and faster to find information to enhance their digital experience, and additional training materials will be posted as Manheim continues to evolve its digital properties.

Clients who want to experience the next generation of auto wholesale first-hand will be able to access the new Manheim.com by clicking on a banner at the top of the current site in early February. Manheim will progressively roll out the new experience to clients throughout 2020, enabling users to switch between the previous and new sites for a period of time as they become familiar with the new experience.  

About Manheim

Manheim®, the nation’s leading provider of end-to-end wholesale vehicle solutions, is celebrating 75 years as an industry innovator, driving success for clients, the company, its team members and the industry. The dream of five men who auctioned off a handful of cars in 1945 from a single-lane location in Manheim, Pennsylvania launched a company that today offers 7 million used vehicles annually and facilitates transactions representing nearly $67 billion in value with the grit and determination of 17,000+ team members. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for decisioning, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. Operating the largest vehicle wholesale marketplace, Manheim enables clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

Manheim taps into an underserved area of the wholesale market to help ease fund collection and titling for dealers who sell direct.

ATLANTA – February 13, 2020 – Manheim will make it easier than ever for dealers to buy and sell direct with a new offering: Express Direct™. Direct sales, which have long been a part of the wholesale space, happen when a dealer sells specific vehicles to another known dealer.

These transactions, while convenient to offload inventory, leave the seller with extra work, from tracking the titling process to collecting funds and managing their inventory in different channels. On the other side of the transaction, buyers are sometimes challenged to floorplan the vehicles. Manheim Express can work to help take some of those headaches out of the transaction and make these deals easier than ever.

“Dealers’ wholesale strategy often includes a mix of selling some vehicles through an auction, while selling others direct,” said Derek Hansen, vice president of offsite solutions at Manheim. “Direct sales can offer dealers a way to quickly offload specific inventory but come with extra work for both sides to manage. As Manheim already excels at managing the wholesale process, from titles to funds and floorplans, it makes perfect sense for us to support direct sales and give dealers an easier way to manage all of their wholesale needs in one location.”

To sell a vehicle through Express Direct, authorized dealers will only have to use the Manheim Express app to take a picture of the VIN, answer a few questions and enter the email address of the person they want to sell vehicles to. The registered buying dealer will then receive a notification, and they can accept or decline the purchase. Manheim will manage the title transfer and will work to help ease floorplanning of the vehicle, if needed and available.

“Ultimately, we’re creating additional convenience for trusted dealers in the Manheim network,” Hansen added. “Express Direct will take the challenge out of direct transactions and give dealers yet another way to wholesale vehicles quickly and easily.”

This new offering comes on the heels of Manheim Express’ explosive growth over the last year. Over 70,000 users across approximately 18,000 dealerships have downloaded Manheim Express, and the app generated the app generated a ten-fold growth in monthly transactions from January to December 2019. The app has received a slew of recent enhancements, including integration with Manheim’s Ready Logistics transportation solution, continually expanding Concierge force, as well as new features like Audio/Video tags and interior 360s.

Interested dealers can get a preview of Express Direct in the Manheim booth (#3030C) at the 2020 NADA Show in Las Vegas February 14th-17th. The solution will be available at select Manheim locations in the coming months before becoming widely available by midyear.

About Manheim

Manheim®, the nation’s leading provider of end-to-end wholesale vehicle solutions, is celebrating 75 years as an industry innovator, driving success for clients, the company, its team members and the industry. The dream of five men who auctioned off a handful of cars in 1945 from a single-lane location in Manheim, Pennsylvania launched a company that today offers 7 million used vehicles annually and facilitates transactions representing nearly $67 billion in value with the grit and determination of 17,000+ team members. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for decisioning, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. Operating the largest vehicle wholesale marketplace, Manheim enables clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

Key role designed to help dealers meet the challenges of the digital transformation era

ATLANTA – February 7, 2020 – Manheim has named Zach Hallowell as the new lead of Manheim Digital amid the company’s significant growth and innovation in the digital wholesale space. Entrusted with leading the transformational efforts across Manheim’s digital platform, M LOGIC™, Manheim Express and condition reporting, Hallowell is also focused on ensuring wholesale buyers and sellers understand the sheer magnitude of possibilities that come with the evolving wholesale landscape.

“Zach’s commitment to our clients’ success, passion for the possibilities of technology and deep background in digital remarketing made him the ideal choice to lead our digital teams into the future,” said Grace Huang, president of Manheim. “As a visionary in digital wholesale, Zach’s drive to innovate and ability to lead through change will enable Manheim to continue being the best place for dealers and consignors to do business.”

A car enthusiast since he first saw a Ferrari Testarossa at nine years old, after which he eagerly read car magazines cover to cover and loved visiting car dealerships with his dad, Hallowell’s love of cars has driven much of his storied career. Shortly after graduating from Middlebury College, he found a way to merge his love of cars and interest in technology by moving to the epicenter of tech innovation—Silicon Valley.

One of the original creators of private online wholesale stores, Hallowell also pioneered the digital grounding and upstream remarketing space. He led the team responsible for one of the first upstream lease end-of-term grounding platforms in the early 2000’s and helped design the lease grounding and upstream sales platform for captive finance companies and rental and fleet providers. His nearly two decades long career in automotive has led him to be the named inventor on numerous patents related to wholesale remarketing systems. Hallowell joined Manheim four years ago to build the company’s private store business and has held increasingly progressive leadership roles since.

“To be in this position with Manheim and the broader Cox ecosystem is equally exciting and humbling,” Hallowell commented. “When I think about what cars represent for our culture—the freedom and mobility to go anywhere at any time—and combine that with the technology resources and wherewithal here at Manheim, I know we have the opportunity to shape the future by bringing together our physical and digital assets to benefit our clients and make a real difference.”

The future is what Hallowell has a keen eye on. His appointment comes at a time when Manheim has seen exponential growth across its digital platforms—from Manheim.com to Manheim Express, Simulcast, OVE and more. In 2019, Manheim saw more than 150,000 unique monthly visitors to its digital channels, grew its Digital Blocks to 150 and sold over 2.3 million vehicles to digital buyers—nearly half of Manheim’s total. As the growth continues, Hallowell believes its critical to help dealers lean into the changes ahead.

“I’ve always been passionate about progress; what makes me uncomfortable is complacency,” he added. “We’re at an inflection point in wholesale where the pace of change and digital adoption is increasing, and I’m confident that the dealer body will be stronger as a result. It’s incredibly important for buyers and sellers alike to embrace these new opportunities to take inefficiencies out of the market, and we will take our clients beyond the traditional auction experience to something even better.”

About Manheim

Manheim®, the nation’s leading provider of end-to-end wholesale vehicle solutions, is celebrating 75 years as an industry innovator, driving success for clients, the company, its team members and the industry. The dream of five men who auctioned off a handful of cars in 1945 from a single-lane location in Manheim, Pennsylvania launched a company that today offers 7 million used vehicles annually and facilitates transactions representing nearly $67 billion in value with the grit and determination of 17,000+ team members. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. Operating the largest vehicle wholesale marketplace, Manheim enables clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

ATLANTA (January 23, 2020) – Manheim rang in the New Year with two new general manager selections in the East and West Regions. Tom Rastelli has been named general manager of Manheim Albany, and John Duplanty takes over leadership of Manheim Portland. Both leaders will be responsible for driving future region growth, building strong client relationships and enhancing operational efficiencies.

Rastelli joined the company in 1999 as a condition report writer. Since then, he has held numerous leadership positions, including dealer services manager, assistant general manager, and most recently, general manager of Manheim Portland. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Ashford University.

Duplanty began his career with Manheim in 2004 as an intern while attending Arizona State University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Duplanty entered the company’s management training program at Manheim Tampa. Over the years, he has held various roles with increasing responsibilities in Florida, New York and Arizona. Most recently, he was general manager of Manheim Tucson. Going forward, Manheim Tucson will be a part of the Manheim Arizona Market Center, reporting to Manheim Phoenix General Manager JD Daniels.

“Tom and John exemplify Manheim’s commitment to a culture that encourages learning and development to drive better results for the business and clients,” said Manheim Division Vice President Alan Lang. “Tom and John have each served in roles of increasing responsibility over the years, developing the skills needed to navigate successfully in our dynamic industry.” 

About Manheim

Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 17,000 team members help Manheim offer 7 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $61 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

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New audio and video tags plus interior 360 imaging – an industry first – give dealers greater confidence when buying digitally.

ATLANTA – January 16, 2020 – Manheim is bringing new life to Manheim Express listings by adding audio and video tags, as well as a wholesale industry first: interior 360 imaging. Now, dealers interested in buying wholesale inventory online can have the utmost confidence in their purchases by being able to hear the sound of an engine—and see more than ever before. These dynamic listings, which dealers can find in the Manheim Express app or on the Manheim.com and OVE, bring listings closer to an in-person look, enabling dealers to digitally kick the tires and make even more informed digital purchases.

“Dealers want as much condition information as possible before they buy, and these features combine to give them more insight than ever before,” said Derek Hansen, vice president of offsite solutions at Manheim. “Between the industry leading exterior 360 technology, moveable images and now A/V tags and interior 360s, Manheim Express offers the best multimedia capabilities of any wholesale app, so dealers can buy online with confidence.”

Audio and video tags bring the sound of vehicles to life—enabling buyers to get a fuller understanding of the engine’s condition. With these tags, dealers can see engine vibrations, more easily assess the engine condition and hear how it purrs (or doesn’t). These key pieces of information can help them determine the potential level of reconditioning needed, as well as influence purchase price.

“A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but audio/video files are even better. Potential buyers can see—and hear—for themselves and make even more informed purchasing decisions,” Hansen added.

Interior 360s bring the best-in-class Fyusion technology clients love for vehicle exteriors inside the vehicle. Now, there will be no question of what interior features are present or the condition of the seats, dash and more.

All of this exciting new functionality adds to the already robust multimedia capabilities in the Manheim Express app, where listings feature exterior 360s, a standard set of high resolution still images, as well as moveable images to show depths of dents and dings.

The audio and video tags, as well as the interior 360s, will be available on all listings completed by a Manheim Express Concierge specialist, where a highly trained expert does all of the listing legwork and consults on wholesale strategy—all for no additional cost. Sellers can request Concierge service through the app.

Since launching nationwide in July 2018, Manheim Express has quickly become the fastest growing mobile app in the wholesale industry. More than 70,000 users across approximately 18,000 dealerships have downloaded Manheim Express, and from January to December 2019, the app generated a ten-fold growth in monthly transactions.

To see this new functionality in action, watch this video. And for more information on the Manheim Express app visit ManheimExpress.com.

About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 17,000 team members help Manheim offer 7 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $61 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.