Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S9

FROM THE
FEBRUARY
EDITION
BEST PRACTICES 2023
FROM THE
it's obvious
ACCELERATE
AUTO'S FINDINGS
AT A GLANCE
A study commissioned by
Accelerate Auto was designed to
understand the car-buying experiences
of Black Canadians. It was
conducted in September 2022 and
encompassed responses from
1,116 consumers across Canada.
* Nine per cent of respondents
described dealerships as diverse.
* 92 per cent of respondents,
regardless of race, saw well-paying
opportunities in the automotive
industry.
* 32 per cent of Black consumers
said the auto industry lacks
diversity, compared with 24 per
cent of white consumers and 16
per cent of other minorities.
* More than 75 per cent of Black
respondents reported having had
negative experiences at dealerships,
versus 64 per cent for
whites.
* Affordability, reliability and safety
were the top three considerations
when buying a vehicle. However,
technology mattered more to
Blacks and other minority groups
than to white Canadians (46 per
cent, vs. 30 per cent for whites).
* When preparing to shop for a
vehicle, 64 per cent of consumers
employ at least one strategy
to ensure that the sales staff
treats them respectfully. That figure
is higher for Blacks - 73 per
cent, compared with 74 per cent
for non-Black minorities and 55
per cent for white customers.
* Black consumers (30 per cent)
were more likely than white (16
per cent) or other consumers (21
per cent) to say, " I ensured that
my clothing/dress was immaculate. "
MARCH
EDITION
FROM
THE
For changing times,
adapt by tapping an app
APRIL
EDITION
EDITION
FROM THE
MAY
AWIN puts the
inventory of its
35 dealerships
in the palm of
buyers' hands,
but that's
just the start
EDITION
FROM THE
EDITION
FROM THE
JUNE
JULY
By DOUG FIRBY
CALGARY CORRESPONDENT
FROM THE
AUGUST
EDITION
FROM THE
AN ONTARIO DEALERSHIP
group is using a new
mobile phone app designed
to engage with prospective
buyers more effectively
and to better serve and
retain existing customers.
The AWIN (Automotive
World Imports Network)
Group of Dealerships of
Toronto has chosen Mobile
Dealer of Ottawa to provide
an integrated app that
links the
group's
35 dealerships,
gives
buyers
real-time
SEPTEMBER
EDITION
FROM
THE
OCTOBER
EDITION
FROM THE
NOVEMBER
EDITION
updates on inventory and
instantly senses when a
potential buyer is visiting
a competitor and pushes an
immediate offer to the prospect's
mobile phone.
" We didn't want to be
the first " with an app, said
Alex Afshar, vice-president
of operations for
AWIN. " We wanted to be
one of the better ones. "
This is the first mobile
app the AWIN group has
tried, Afshar said, adding
that the company wanted
to respond to evolving
buyer habits.
" COVID-19 taught us
a lot about how to connect, "
he said. " We wanted
to be a part of
that change. And
we wanted to have a
competitive edge. "
The app was
developed by Tony
della Busa, the
founder of Mobile
Dealer and its
trucking-industry
counterpart,
Truckmore. Since
the apps were introduced
in 2017, they
have been purchased
by more
than 1,000 dealerships
in Canada
and the United
States, della Busa
said. Mobile Dealer
and Truckmore
were sold to
Karmak Inc. of
motivated to create
the app after
noting shortcomings
in the tools
that were on the
market.
Afshar:
" COVID-19
taught us a
lot about how
to connect.
We wanted
to be a
part of that
change. And
we wanted
to have a
competitive
edge. "
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
Illinois in November 2022.
'MORE PERSONALIZED'
Della Busa, Mobile
Dealer's director of digital
solutions, said he was
" A lot of dealers
said they were not
satisfied. We wanted
to create a more
personalized experience. "
The
app is
well-suited to
the omnichannel
approach to
selling because it
" provides a seamless
and integrated
experience for
customers across
multiple channels, "
della Busa
said. Omnichannel
refers to technology and
processes aimed at providing
a seamless buying
experience for consumers
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
9
Tony della Busa of Mobile Dealer said the app used
by AWIN is well-suited to the omnichannel selling
because it " provides a seamless and integrated
experience for customers across multiple channels. "
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Automotive News Canada - December 2023

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