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Hey everyone,
From Polestar to Carvana. From dealership margins to hedge funds.
From absorption to sales effectiveness. One of the most candid conversations we've had.
Matthew C. Haiken x Car Dealership Guy
Drops soon.
— CDG
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Gross profit per unit drops for top dealers in Q2
Average gross profit per unit slowed in the second quarter of 2026, landing between $200 and $600 for many of the largest retailers, according to an analysis compiled by Stephens, Inc.
The Automotive Retailing Industry rankings by Stephens looked into the Q2 performance of Asbury Automotive Group, AutoNation, Group 1 Automotive, Lithia Motors, Penske Automotive Group and Sonic Automotive, representing 1,875 stores.
“Last year, everyone benefited from the surge in demand with the tariffs,” said Stephens analyst Jeff Lick. “You’re comparing against unique certain circumstances.”
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Mercedes CEO says automakers went 'too far' with touchscreens
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius says the industry's push toward high-tech vehicle interiors may have gone "too far," echoing the concerns of many consumers.
The details: Källenius made the remarks while acknowledging that Mercedes may have contributed to the trend through its emphasis on digital interfaces, according to InsideEVs.
The CEO pointed to the automaker's replacement of physical buttons with on-screen controls as an example of technology going "too far."
DriveCentric launches CRM for service
DriveCentric announced Monday the launch of its Service Engagement Hub, a CRM built for fixed operations to track opportunities, centralize consumer communication, and automate marketing.
Driving the news: DriveCentric, which has more than 3,300 dealers on its Sales Engagement Platform, is adding the service department CRM, which includes an AI agent.
It is now available for current DriveCentric customers and will be made available to new customers in September.
Let's talk used cars: What they're costing, how they're moving, and how dealers are stocking more
