Driving the news: CarGurus $CARG ( ▼ 4.81% ) is shutting down its CarOffer transaction business after its board determined the model has "proven less effective in today's more volatile and unpredictable pricing environment."

For context: The company is ending dealer-to-dealer transactions and instant cash offers by the end of the year to refocus on AI-powered inventory intelligence and analytics tools.

  • CarGurus acquired CarOffer in two separate transactions in 2021 and 2023 for $215 million.

  • CarGurus now expects to spend $14-19 million winding down operations, with most costs hitting in the second half of 2025.

  • CEO Jason Trevisan said the company will focus on "technology and analytics that enable smarter sourcing decisions rather than facilitating the transactions themselves."

Why it matters: The shutdown reflects how volatile car pricing has made transaction-based business models more challenging for tech companies. CarGurus concluded that dealers need "more flexibility and broader automation" than its current model could provide in today's market conditions.

Bottom line: CarGurus is shifting resources away from facilitating transactions toward its core strengths in data analytics and AI-powered search tools. The company says the wind-down will allow it to better serve dealers' evolving needs in an unpredictable pricing environment.

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