Page 31 - BusinessWest December 21, 2020

said the pandemic has certainly made online buying, as well as vehicle pickup and dropoff for needed service, more popular,
and these trends will have staying power, especially as the number of COVID-19 cases rises again.
And while it was a somewhat tumultuous year, especially when it came to inventories of both new and used cars (and the prices of the latter), it wasn’t really a bad year for many dealerships — and certainly not as bad as things as things looked in March and April, when some dealerships actually closed and all others were see-
ing business come to something approaching a standstill.
“We’re actually on track for what our plan was 2020, even with what happened in March, April, and May,” said Peter Wirth, co-owner with his wife, Michelle,
of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, quickly noting a few caveats to that assessment. “Some things moved around a little — more used cars and fewer used cars based on supplies — but overall, as I said, we’re on track for where we wanted to be as a dealership.”
Cosenzi concurred. “Given the circumstances and what happened, we feel really good about how we finished in 2020,” she said. “When you look back to how everyone was feeling in March, we feel really appreciative of how we finished the year.”
‘Normal’ also applies, to some extent, to end-
of-year, holiday-season sales, said those we spoke with, adding quickly that smaller inventories will certainly limit how many cars, trucks, and SUVs will be sold, including to businesses looking for tax incentives — although demand is certainly there.
But those end-of-year sales, such as Mercedes’ annual Winter Event, are happening, and they are bringing customers to the ‘dealership,’ literally or figuratively.
“
saying that we moved forward
10 years in three months when
it comes to internet purchasing, out-of-state deliveries, and people doing 98% of the deal over the phone or the internet.”
“It’s like a cherished piece of normalcy,” said Wirth. “People see that the Winter Event is hap- pening, that the deals are out there. I feel like both our customers and our team are enjoying the fact that there’s a normal, busy holiday-selling season — so far, at least.”
He made that statement toward the middle of December, and that tone reflects a degree of uncertainty that still prevails in this industry and
There are experts out there
Rob Pion says inventory remains an issue at his dealership, and it will likely remain that way into the new year.
“There are experts out there saying that we moved forward 10 years in three months when
it comes to internet purchasing, out-of-state deliveries, and people doing 98% of the deal over the phone or the internet,” he told BusinessWest. “And that sounds about right.”
Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group, which operates four dealerships (Volk- swagen, Nissan, Hyundai, and Volvo), agreed. She
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DECEMBER 21, 2020 31
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