Are you still forcing customers to sign forty pages of paper with a ballpoint pen? Paper slows everything. Funding gets delayed. Stips get lost. Deal jackets get messy. The controller chases ghosts. E-contracting is not a tech luxury. It is cash-flow discipline. #FinanceManager #AutoRetail

Sonic Automotive Inc.’s EchoPark used-vehicle business is again in expansion mode after paring back during the COVID-19 pandemic inventory crunch. #SonicAutomotive #EchoPark #automotive #autoindustry #autoretail

AI Is About to Change Compliance More Than Sales. One of the most interesting conversations from my latest episode of Automotive Informants was with Chris Cunningham. Everyone talks about AI helping dealers sell more cars. Fewer people are talking about what happens when AI starts auditing every customer interaction in real time. As regulations continue to evolve, pricing transparency is becoming a bigger focus across the industry. What starts in one state rarely stays in one state forever. The reality is simple: AI can review 100% of conversations. AI can identify compliance risks instantly. AI can flag pricing, disclosure, and process issues before they become legal problems. For years, dealers relied on random call reviews, spot checks, and occasional audits. We’re entering a world where every phone call, text message, email, and F&I conversation can be monitored, scored, documented, and searchable. That changes everything. The dealers who embrace transparency will benefit. The dealers who depend on inconsistent processes may find themselves exposed faster than ever before. In this clip, Chris Cunningham shares why he believes transparency will become one of the most important factors in automotive retail as AI adoption accelerates and regulatory scrutiny increases. The question isn’t whether AI will impact compliance. The question is whether your dealership will use AI to protect itself before regulators, lenders, attorneys, or consumers do. 🎙️ Listen to the full Automotive Informants episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. I’d love to hear your thoughts: Will AI become the industry’s greatest compliance tool, or its greatest compliance risk? #Automotive #AutoRetail #AI #Dealerships #FTC #Compliance #FandI #AutomotiveInformants #Transparency #ArtificialIntelligence #AutomotiveNews

When was the last time your dealership aggressively publicized its local sponsorships, charity work and community support? Most stores donate quietly, then complain the market does not appreciate them. That is backwards. If your dealership supports the community, tell the story. Local trust is not built by accident. #AutoRetail #PublicRelations

California's automotive retail market is regaining momentum. Jayson Crouch shares his perspective in the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association's Dealer Magazine on what regulatory clarity means for dealership valuations and buyer activity across the state. Read more here: hubs.la/Q04lzd-r0 #MarketTrends #Automotive #DealershipOwners #CaliforniaAutomotive #AutoRetail #DealershipValue

Tokyo auto shops and Detroit car dealerships have been running short of motor oil, paint and other products for months since the Middle East conflict snarled global supply chains. #US #Iran #autoshops #automotive #autoindustry #oil #autoretail

$CVNA (Carvana) – Strong performance in the online used-car sector: Carvana rose approximately 7–8% today, driven by a rebound in auto consumption and improved operational efficiency (including inventory turnover and gross margins). The online auto retail model continues to gain market validation. Profile: A high-beta growth stock tied to the consumer recovery; it has demonstrated resilience and a turnaround after experiencing significant volatility. Outlook: The U.S. used-car market is massive, and rising digital penetration offers long-term growth potential. A favorable short-term interest rate environment supports auto financing, while execution remains the key factor for the medium-to-long term; further market share expansion is anticipated. #CVNA #Carvana #UsedCars #AutoRetail #EcommerceStocks #ConsumerRecovery

It’s been three months since the Federal Trade Commission shook up the auto retail industry with very public warnings to 97 auto dealership groups that six vehicle advertising practices were “illegal.” #FTC #automotive #autoindustry #autoretail

Strong performance can delay hard conversations. Succession planning brings structure while flexibility still exists. lttr.ai/AooM2 #DealerPrincipal #AutoRetail

A Long Island, N.Y., GMC dealership is suing General Motors for $15 million over allegations of a long-running inequitable allocation of new vehicles. #GMC #GMCdealers #automotive #autoindustry #autoretail

STOP BUDGETING LIKE IT'S 2019. Big budgets don’t win in 2026—clear strategy does. Need help making your 2026 budget work harder? Connect with Chumney & Associates. 🔗: bit.ly/4utDWyU #AutoRetail #2026Planning #ROI #DigitalMarketing

The economy isn't giving auto dealers an all-clear, but it isn't sounding the alarm either. ↑ 115K jobs added in April ↑ GDP rebounded to 2.0% in Q1 ↑ PCE inflation hit 3.5% YoY → Fed held rates with no relief in sight Affordability headwinds are real. Discipline wins in this market. Read more here: hubs.la/Q04lmGP40 #HaigReport #MarketTrends #Automotive #AutoRetail

CarTrade Tech Accelerates Digital Mobility with Launch of CarTrade Used Auto capitalmarket.com #CarTradeTech #UsedAuto #UsedCars #AutoTech #DigitalMarketplace #AutomotiveIndustry #CarTrade #MobilitySolutions #AutoRetail #VehicleMarketplace #BusinessNews #TechInnovation

Your front doors should not look like a breakroom. A group of salespeople loitering outside the entrance is intimidating to buyers and embarrassing for the store. It tells the customer there is no leadership. Clear the front line. Set the standard. Enforce professionalism. The customer experience starts before the first handshake. #AutoRetail #Showroom dealership showroom etiquette, car sales professionalism, dealership entrance, walk-in traffic, showroom standards, auto retail customer experience

U.S. new-vehicle inventories ticked up only slightly last month to start June at 2.89 million vehicles, as gasoline-electric hybrids continued to turn at faster rates than other powertrains amid high fuel prices, data firm Catalyst IQ said. #automotive #autoindustry #autoretail

The Payment Shock Is Real. And I don’t think the automotive industry is talking about it enough. For years, we blamed inventory shortages for slowing sales. Today, inventory has largely returned to normal levels. According to Cox Automotive, new vehicle inventory reached approximately 2.8 million units in May 2026. The problem isn’t finding a vehicle anymore. The problem is affording one. Think about the customer who bought a vehicle 4 or 5 years ago. They financed a $32,000 vehicle at 2.9% interest. Their payment was around $500 per month. Now they’re back in the market. That same customer is looking at a $50,000 vehicle. Interest rates are often 7%, 8%, 9%, or higher. The payment they expected to be $500 is now $850, $900, or even $1,000 per month. That’s payment shock. And it’s happening millions of times across America right now. Customers aren’t saying no because they don’t want a new vehicle. They’re saying no because the monthly payment no longer fits their budget. This is why dealerships are seeing shoppers spend more time researching, comparing, delaying purchases, extending loan terms, and holding onto vehicles longer than ever before. It’s also why the dealers winning today are focused on: • Equity mining • APR reduction campaigns • Trade-cycle opportunities • Service customer retention • Used vehicle acquisition • Faster lead response The next battle in automotive won’t be fought over inventory. It will be fought over affordability. The dealership that helps customers solve the payment problem will win the customer. The dealership that only tries to sell the vehicle will lose them. Source: Cox Automotive May 2026 New Vehicle Inventory Report. New vehicle inventory reached approximately 2.8 million units while affordability continues to be one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Cox Automotive #Automotive #AutoRetail #Dealerships #CarSales #AutoIndustry #EVs #Inventory #InterestRates #Marketing #AI #AutomotiveNews #DigitalRetailing #FixedOps #UsedCars #FandI

The FTC has three primary ways to impose steep fines on companies for breaking deceptive-advertising rules. So far, the 97 dealership groups that the agency identified for potential violations have avoided at least two of the paths to fees. #FTC #autoretail #automotive

AutoNation Inc. and another top 150 dealership group bought stores in Automotive News’ latest tracked dealership buy-sell transactions, among deals across eight states involving 13 stores. #autoretail #automotive #autoindustry #AutoNation #Toyota #VW #Volkswagen #KenGarff

Are automotive vendors true partners or just expense lines? Let's talk about it. ☕️⚡️ Join the Cars & Coffee Clubhouse Room TODAY from 7-9 AM EST. 3 parts. 2 hours. Pure industry insights. Everyone is welcome. Bring your take! 👇#Automotive #CarDealers #AutoRetail #Customer

The dealership playbook is being rewritten. This week's edition of Inside Automotive connects the dots between some of the biggest stories impacting dealers right now: • Nissan lease buyout audits • Carvana's platform strategy • BYD's North American expansion • AI-driven compliance and reviews • Pricing transparency changes • The growing importance of dealership controllers The common thread? The future belongs to dealers who embrace transparency, own the customer relationship, leverage data, and build trust at scale. Read Edition 25 of Inside Automotive and see where the industry is headed next. #Automotive #AutoRetail #Dealerships #AutomotiveNews #AI #CarSales #FixedOps #DealershipManagement linkedin.com/pulse/inside-au…