May 18th, 2012
Home Security -- From the Cable Guy
Time Warner and Comcast are entering the residential security market (local opportunity for independents).
|
May 15th, 2012
Homeowners: Remodeling, not Relocating
NARI says more homeowners are planning to invest in their homes, instead of moving.
|
May 13th, 2012
ESA's ROI Minute
Looking for a great media, retail, or sales idea? Got a minute?
|
May 11th, 2012
Shoppers Boost Spending on Furniture & Bedding
WSJ | A sign of confidence, consumer spending on mattress and furniture picked up in 2011 and the trend continues.
|
April 18th, 2012
U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Summary, March 2012
Wards recap of March 2012. Do you know which automakers pulled ahead? You should!
|
April 18th, 2012
Wards Auto Outlook: April 2012
Will the momentum continue?
|
March 29th, 2012
Opportunity: Americans Staying in Homes Longer
The median stay in a home for US homeowners has increase to 9 years, up from six years in 2008.
|
March 28th, 2012
Homeowners Choose Remodeling over Selling
More homeowners today are staying in their current homes and sprucing it up, instead of testing the housing market.
|
March 20th, 2012
Retail Mobile Websites Beat Apps
US smartphone owners prefer and use retail mobile sites over apps.
|
March 18th, 2012
TrueCar Hits Resistance, Makes Changes
TrueCar is making changes in light of push-back from consumers, regulators, automakers and dealers.
|
March 15th, 2012
Low rates drive vehicle-leasing rebound
The perfect storm: Low rates + high trade-in value = a resurgence in leasing for 2012
|
March 18th, 2012
Chevy rolls out TV spots for Malibu Eco on Monday
The new greener Malibu gets some market buzz.
|
March 13th, 2012
Strong February in US Auto Market
With the SAAR pace hitting 15m units ... who were the real winners in the auto market?
|
March 12th, 2012
Local Retail: 4 Keys to Winning Vs. Big Box
Four applicable disciplines for local shops to use to win versus big box competition.
|
March 12th, 2012
Dealer Service: Not Hip for Young?
Auto dealers are seeing younger drivers chose more non-dealer options for service , especially post-warrantee.
|
March 6th, 2012
Refinancing Craze Spreads to Car Loans
Consumer applications to refinance car loans increased nearly 30% in January
|
February 29th, 2012
Mild Winter Boosts Home Depot
WSJ | Good article on home improvement. Wake-up call for local home services businesses.
|
February 27th, 2012
Wary Shoppers Give Retailers Mixed Results
The good, bad and ugly of January 2012, from WSJ.com.
|
February 20th, 2012
Used-Car Prices on the Rise Again
Expect more of the same in 2012 on pre-owned. Dealers with good used inventory can win big.
|
February 29th, 2012
Auto Industry Bets on Leasing
Vehicle leasing is making a comeback -- with more discipline. That delights dealers who want to stay connected with customers.
|
February 7th, 2012
Monthly Retail Sales Summary
Retail sales index up 5% in a mixed January.
|
January 26th, 2012
Strong January for US Auto Market
January 2012 is on pace to deliver the highest seasonally adjusted auto volume (SAAR) in 29 months.
|
January 26th, 2012
TrueCar Featured in Wards
The potential impact of TrueCar expands well beyond the automotive industry.
|
January 25th, 2012
Businesses Need a Mobile Website to Compete
Mobile searches have quadrupled since 2010. Do you have a mobile website for your biz?
|
December 30th, 2011
Where Dealers Look for Good Sales Help
A lesson for media types and retailers alike, on finding good sales talent (Steve Finlay).
|
December 29th, 2011
Dealers Get Smart
When new tech is embraced by consumers, new auto shopper habits evolve.
|
December 28th, 2011
Lengths of Used-Car Loans Increase
Pre-owned auto inventory is in high demand, with higher prices, higher residuals, and now longer loan terms.
|
December 19th, 2011
November U.S. Auto Sales: Best Month of 2011
Detroit's Big Three lead the way with a 15% year-to-year gain as November auto sales jump.
|
December 12th, 2011
NRF 101st Annual Convention & Expo
Bill Clinton might be the big draw ... but ESA's Mac McDonald is running the show in NYC. Get a free NRF 2012 Expo pass.
|
December 6th, 2011
Supply Low, Demand High for Used Cars
Wards | Auto shoppers to see price hike on pre-owned cars in early 2012. (by Steve Finlay, ROI2012 speaker)
|
December 20th, 2011
Black Friday Online Sales Up 24.3%
Online holiday sales get off to a strong start, but are consumers just avoiding the mayhem?
|
November 15th, 2011
Lexus aims for exciting, sporty new image
USAToday | A luxury brand in need of a resurgence, Lexus plots the future.
|
November 23rd, 2011
Local TV Drives Auto Dealer Successes
Mike Johnson of Hickory Toyota (ESA client and former ROI speaker): Huge success story driven by 80% TV.
|
November 30th, 2011
ITC: U.S. industry injured by wood flooring from China
FurintureToday | Tough year for your local flooring stores? U.S. Dept of Commerce to enact "anti-dumping" on Chinese wood flooring imports.
|
November 23rd, 2011
October automotive sales better, but barely
Ward's Counting Cars | Great resource to compare local automotive performance to the national picture.
|
November 23rd, 2011
Counting Cars, Part III
Dave Eckstein | Need a confidence boost in automotive? Check out the ticker!
|
November 8th, 2011
Counting Cars, Part II
Adam Armbruster | Are you a spectator or a participant in the largest turf-war in the auto industry in modern history?
|
November 8th, 2011
Counting Trucks?
Roland Eckstein | Home services companies looking at their YTY results vs 2010 reeks of "Cash for Clunkers" ... these companies need your help right now!
|
October 17th, 2011
Used Prices to Drive New Car Sales in 4Q
NADA | Above average trade-in values spell an increase in new car sales this quarter.
|
October 11th, 2011
Hyundai of New Port Richey Claims #1 Position in U.S.
Hyundai of NPR (ESA client) is now the highest volume Hyundai dealership in the U.S.
|
October 10th, 2011
U.S. new-car sales expected to improve this month
Inventory replenishment is bringing buyers back to the lot, according to J.D. Power.
|
December 28th, 2011
FordDirect Texting Local Deals to Customers
Auto Remarketing | Ford has pegged a 14% lead conversion on this. Some leads are directed to local dealers.
|
May 18th, 2012
Retail Analysts Predict a Good Holiday Season
A 3.5% rise for November & December is projected.
|
October 10th, 2011
Expect Furniture Industry Growth in 2012, 2013
FurnitureToday | Analyst says 2013 might be the best year the furniture industry has seen in almost six years.
|
August 25th, 2011
Credit unions offer payday loans
Some CUs, recognizing the market, are offering short term, higher interest loans.
|
July 8th, 2011
Mattress Firm says it aims to grow to 2,500 stores
FurnitureToday | Fast growing sleep shop wants to quadruple in size.
|
December 28th, 2011
June Auto Sales to Rebound
Detroit News | Analysts, JD Power, expect robust June & 2nd half for US auto sales.
|
December 28th, 2011
Nissan Aims to Boost Market Share, Margin
Bloomberg | Time to talk with your Nissan dealers. Aggressive six-year plan unveiled to grow share and margins.
|
July 8th, 2011
Main Street Pessimistic
WSJ | 78% of small businesses say recession is still looming, 85% expect this to continue into 2012.
|
June 27th, 2011
Contractor Survey: New EPA Rule to Increase Costs
New rule requires tighter "lead-safe" practices, and will raise costs for contractors and home renovations.
|
June 15th, 2011
4 Experts Forecast 2011 Housing Market
A slow and gradual recovery will be tempered by a glut of inventory and tighter financial rules.
|
June 15th, 2011
How Small Businesses Can Land Government Grants
WSJ | Good resource for small business owners looking for funding.
|
June 15th, 2011
Fuel Efficient Used Cars Could Be Getting Cheaper
A temporary dip in gas prices eases the huge demand on small used vehicles.
|
June 1st, 2011
Who's the 2nd Largest Roofer in Your Market?
Americans staying in their homes longer ... propping up a few re-emerging categories. Get ready!
|
December 28th, 2011
Soundbytes from the Auto Industry
ESA | A collection of insights on the auto industry, from ESA's Real Auto Answers webinar on May 20.
|
May 31st, 2011
Megatrends in the Auto Market
What big changes in the auto market are here to stay? Let's ask the dealers themselves.
|
May 30th, 2011
Price and Value Trump Image, Branding
WSJ reports that consumers, even the affluent, respond better to messages of price and value than branding or image ads. Nothing new to us!
|
May 20th, 2011
Auto Sales to Hit 16M by 2013?
Detroit News | Consulting firm estimates industry will reach pre-recession levels in two years.
|
May 13th, 2011
ESA's Real Auto Answers Webinar | May 20, 2011
The real deal on the new automotive marketplace -- make your dealerships hum again!
|
May 12th, 2011
Overhaul Your Ad Plans
Ward's Auto | ESA's Adam Armbruster urges auto dealers to take a closer look at today's media consumption patterns.
|
May 9th, 2011
Existing-Home Sales Rise in March
March marks the sixth month out of the past eight with improving existing home sales.
|
May 15th, 2011
Megadealers See Bright Prospects, Some Dark Spots
Wards Auto (Steve Finlay) | Big auto retailers are cautiously optimistic about 2011 and beyond.
|
May 3rd, 2011
Five Nuggets for Your Next Automotive Meeting
ESA Catalyst | Know these five key trends before your next automotive meeting.
|
April 27th, 2011
GM Likely To Retake Top Automaker Spot
TVNewsCheck | Hit by earthquakes and safety concerns, Toyota may soon surrender #1 to GM.
|
April 27th, 2011
Retailers Skeptical of Groupon-Like Deals
A Chicago retailer is skeptical of services like Groupon, especially when looking at the math.
|
March 28th, 2011
Burned by Daily-Deal Craze, Small Businesses Get Savvy
WSJ | Merchants regularly absorb up to 75% of a deal's cost and often saw little in the way of repeat business.
|
March 28th, 2011
Respond to All Internet Leads? Well, Yes
Wards Auto | Internet leads are up 50% to 500%, yet many still are left by the wayside.
|
March 5th, 2011
Big 3 See Double Digit Gains; GM Up 49 Percent
US automakers had a strong February.
|
March 4th, 2011
U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Stagnates in February on Slow Sales
Bloomberg | Home builder sentiment index at 16 (on a scale that considers 50 to be "average").
|
May 18th, 2011
Broadcast TV Puts Car Dealer In Fast Lane
Scott Fink and Adam Armbruster have Hyundai of New Port Richey in the top 3 nationally.
|
November 19th, 2010
ESA Service Industry Webinar | December 3, 2010
Insight on the legal, financial, healthcare and home services industries. ESA's Service Industry Webinar features a panel of local businesses that have outperformed the market.
|
May 9th, 2011
CUs Want to See You | The Catalyst
Dave Eckstein | Auto shoppers love great finance deals. Here's why you should too.
|
November 3rd, 2010
Time to Talk with Flooring Stores | The Catalyst
Lynne Edwards | Need a good reason to dialog with local flooring stores? Here are two.
|
November 3rd, 2010
Lost as Car Buyers, But Won as Service Customers
Just because a customer ends up buying a car from a competing dealership doesn't mean a store can't get the ensuing service work.
|
November 3rd, 2010
83% of Car Buyers Shop Online First
Wards | Visitors to auto websites cite price and selection as leading factors in their purchase decisions.
|
November 3rd, 2010
This Christmas, Best Buy Betting on Power of TV to Sell TVs
AdAge | Best Buy laying in a TV buy for the holiday season, to move ... TVs.
|
November 3rd, 2010
Kohl's to hire 40,000 for the holidays
Not a bad sign from the big box.
|
November 3rd, 2010
Meet the New Used-Car Buyer
Wards | Steve Finlay | Today's used car shopper is a little different than in the past.
|
September 27th, 2010
Credit Unions Fight to Keep Auto-Lending Gains
Steve Finlay | CU's now represent over 22% of auto loans, picking up big share during the financial freeze.
|
September 24th, 2010
Closing Furniture Stores Present Opportunities
AJC.com (Atlanta) | Closing furniture stores leave opportunities for growth in ‘tepid' market.
|
September 24th, 2010
Toys 'R' Soaking Up Mall Spaces
WSJ | Toys "R" Us is opening 600 "pop-up stores" this fall, doubling the number of its U.S. stores for the crucial holiday season.
|
August 20th, 2010
GM Books $1.3B Profit in Q2, Revenue Rises
The big automaker is fairing better in 2010.
|
June 2nd, 2010
Which Media are Working for Auto Dealers Today?
Dave Eckstein | A few soundbytes from ESA's auto webinar can clarify media selection for dealers.
|
May 28th, 2010
Auto Dealers Surging Ahead in 2010
Dave Eckstein | Will auto dealers ride the waves or make their own in 2010?
|
May 26th, 2010
Optimism in the Auto Industry
Dave Eckstein | A few soundbytes from ESA's Real Auto Answers webinar puts the current state of the auto industry into perspective.
|
May 5th, 2010
The New Rules of Remodeling
WSJ | Annual spending on remodeling is expected to accelerate in 2010, with nearly 5% growth over 2009.
|
April 29th, 2010
Real Auto Answers | ESA Webinar | May 14, 2010
A free live webinar for broadcast stations and their local dealers on May 14.
|
April 19th, 2010
Top Execs Answer Auto Marketing's Biggest Questions
Ad Age | Five auto industry executives talk about the present and future of car marketing.
|
April 2nd, 2010
Chrysler Offering to Reopen 86 Dealers
Soon after GM announced its plans to restore 661 dealers, Chrysler makes a similar move.
|
March 26th, 2010
Honda enters price war with Toyota
LA Times | The automaker moves to preserve its market share amid aggressive sales incentives offered by Toyota.
|
March 25th, 2010
Chrysler Exec: March Sales Up 51% From Feb.
AP | Retail sales at the automaker are up 51 percent this month compared with February.
|
March 18th, 2010
GM CFO Says Company May Be Profitable in '10
BW | Chris Liddell said the biggest U.S. automaker may be profitable in 2010, ending five years of annual losses.
|
March 18th, 2010
Automotive Retailing: Driving the U.S. Economy
NADA data shows economic impact of dealers by state.
|
March 18th, 2010
GM Dealers Wait to be Reinstated
Automaker has plans to restore 661 dealerships.
|
March 8th, 2010
Gallup | Key Economic Trends
A good snapshot of key economic trends as the US heads toward recovery.
|
March 3rd, 2010
Smaller Used-Vehicle Supply Boosts Wholesale Prices
As used inventories are shrinking due to 8 million fewer used vehicles entering the US market during 2008-09.
|
February 4th, 2010
Battling Back, Home Builders Cut Prices, Work Faster
WSJ | Home builders are cutting prices, promising faster builds, and warning about the risks of buying foreclosed property. Their efforts may be paying off.
|
February 4th, 2010
Toyota Estimates 20,000 Sales Lost in Last Week
NYT | Toyota, struggling with two large recalls, said that its US sales fell 16 percent in January, as other carmakers reported gains.
|
February 4th, 2010
Toyota Says It Will Start Fixing Recalled Cars This Week
NYT | Automaker recall at 8 million units and counting
|
January 6th, 2010
Ford Motor Company Up 33%
WSJ | Ford's December was up 33%, while GM and Chrysler both posted declines.
|
