Front Office
Dealers launch $750M class-action suit against GM CanadaJanuary 26, 2010 A class action lawsuit, seeking $750 million in damages, has been launched against General Motors of Canada on behalf of 215 Canadian GM auto dealers terminated in connection with last year’s auto bailout. The lawsuit, launched on January 21 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, claims that General Motors of ... Read more |
Welcome to our totally-redesigned, better-than-ever, all-new-for-2010 websiteDecember 2, 2009 New-model updates have been a staple of the auto industry since the days of Alfred Sloan. While they almost always highlight design changes that tend to grab people’s attention, they also typically include real feature improvements that offer customers easier use and enhanced capabilities. Following that theme, we’ve been doing a ... Read more |
Canadian economic growth to be tepidNovember 17, 2009 According to a report by TD Economics, Canada’s potential for economic growth will be about half its historical norm for several years. Rather than a quick recovery, the bank expects tepid growth and an extended period of muted expansion for up to a decade. "It is critical to ... Read more |
A Dealer's Guide to Recovery and Growth in Today's MarketMay 28, 2009 In an unprecedented move, automotive sales and management training guru and Canadian auto dealer contributor, Joe Verde will give away to dealers a FREE copy of his latest book, "A Dealer's Guide to Recovery and Growth in Today's Market" (250 pages). The book is a step by step guide that ... Read more |
Dealer numbers to dropMarch 17, 2009 As many as 500 new-vehicle dealerships across Canada could disappear over the next five years, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. And General Motors of Canada’s restructuring plan submission to governments, requesting financial support, suggests those numbers could be even grea... Read more |
Dealers caught in credit crunchJanuary 19, 2009 The average facility investment by Canadian auto dealers is over $5 million per store - with many over double that figure - according to a survey conducted last year by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, in conjunction with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. But while the total level of commercial financing for dealers increased in 2008, so... Read more |
Dealers invited to learn about accessory market at SEMA showJuly 16, 2008 First-ever "Dealer Day" exclusively for new-vehicle dealersOne area of potential new business for franchised auto dealers that has remained relatively untapped is the $38-billion accessory market. For that reason, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), in conjunction with the U.S.-based National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) have jointly announced a first-of-its-kind, co... Read more |
CBC denigrates dealers - again!May 26, 2008 CBC TV, which has a history of anti-dealer reportage, recently ran a news clip on ‘The National’ purporting that some Canadian dealers, who photocopy prospective customers’ drivers’ licences when they take a vehicle for a test drive, use that information to run unauthorized credit checks on th... Read more |
A new era at TADAHuw Evans | June 15, 2010  Since the late 1980s the auto business has seen dramatic changes and as executive director of the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association (TADA), Bill Davis helped steer that association through some very challenging, yet exciting times. In March 2010, Davis finally eased into a much-deserved retirement, leaving huge shoes to fill. As ... Read more |
Ontario HST transition has some hiccupsHuw Evans | May 28, 2010  One of the hottest current topics for automobile retailers in Ontario is the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), which comes into effect on July 1st. As it turns out, the transition to the new tax regime may not be as simple as it first appeared. With the implementation of the HST al... Read more |
Long-term dependability up with a few surprises at the top| April 14, 2010  Long-term dependability improved in 25 of 36 vehicle brands compared with last year, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). And the industry average improved from 170 problems-per-100 (PP100) vehicles in 2009 to just 155 in 2010, continuing a steady trend of industry-wide improvement. Among those ... Read more |
Quebec GHG regs: background and call for dealers' action| February 2, 2010 On December 30, 2009, without prior notice, Quebec announced new regulations on vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that took effect on January 14, 2010 – just over two weeks later. That action sets a precedent with serious implications for automakers, dealers and consumers in every province and territory. The Quebec regulations ... Read more |
FEATURE: Detroit auto show reflects the state of the industry| January 19, 2010 As the first major international auto show of each year, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is an annual barometer of what to expect in the coming 12 months and beyond. Based on the mood at this year’s show, the forecast is subdued optimism. Or, as analyst Dennis DesRosiers ... Read more |
FEATURE: Monopoly anyone? In the dealer game the money is realChuck Seguin | January 6, 2010 A few months back I wrote about the possible outcomes arising from the Canadian dealer network rightsizing initiatives that had just been announced. As that downsizing now begins to unfold, activity is at heightened levels. Stores are closing, stores are opening and stores are moving. It’s like the game of ... Read more |
A fearless prediction for 2010Michael Hatch | January 5, 2010 The onset of winter brings with it a natural tendency to reflect on the year that has been and anticipate to the one before us. This time, that habit is stronger than normal, both because this New Year also brings with it a new decade and because the past twelve ... Read more |
Things are looking upNiel Hiscox | November 26, 2009 While 2009 isn’t drawing to a close just yet, the end of the year is in sight. For many, it will be a year that can’t disappear fast enough. As we draw towards year-end, we naturally look ahead and wonder what the new year will have in store. More so ... Read more |
Words worth repeating:| November 23, 2009 Here at Canadian auto dealer, we have spent 2009 examining and enduring the combined effects of two different storms. The first is possibly the most dramatic (and certainly the most rapid) transformation of the automotive industry in its history. The second is an equally dramatic transformation of media and communications. As publishers for the automotive ... Read more |
Stimulus, demystifiedMichael Hatch | October 15, 2009 As individuals, businesses and governments struggle to cope with the most severe economic and financial crisis in our lifetimes, more subtle trends have been at play than just the inexorable upward march of unemployment figures and downward slide of national output. One of these trends regards the effect of the downturn on our everyday spe... Read more |
No time for complacency| October 2, 2009 We’ve almost weathered the storm. There are hopeful signs on many fronts that the worst of the recession is over and that a recovery, if not already under way, is on the near horizon. The unemployment rate has stopped increasing and new vehicle sales seem to be consistently back above the 1.5- million SAAR level ... Read more |
Be careful what you ask for| September 30, 2009 From what I understand, the message to the federal government from five of Canada’s automakers was stark: expand the cash-for-clunkers program fully (to levels comparable to similar programs in the United States and Germany), or don’t at all. At first glance, it seems like a negotiating tactic that couldn’t possibly wor... Read more |
No cash for clunkers in Canada| September 30, 2009 If there was ever any doubt that a “cash for clunkers” program is an effective economic stimulus, the results of the recent CARS (Car Allowance Rebate System) initiative in the U.S. put that concern to rest. But there will be no parallel program in Canada! Federal environment minister Jim Prentice has announced that... Read more |
Can you benefit from the strong used-vehicle market?Trevor Henderson | September 30, 2009 News headlines proclaim the recession is over and things are looking up across the broad economy. Stock markets are generally trending in the right direction again. Some vehicle manufacturers are reporting stronger-than-expected financial results. New-car sales are showing strength that was not there just a few months ago. This is all good news!... Read more |
What goes down must come up| March 13, 2009  It is, perhaps, a measure of how far and how fast our circumstances have deteriorated that results we would not have accepted as worst-case scenarios just a year ago may now represent our best-case hopes. Who could have imagined, for example, when we were toying with dreams of another 1... Read more |
