Retail
automotive, like every other industry, is undergoing radical change
because of computers and the Internet. Everybody in the car business
feels an uneasiness right now, like that weird sensation you get
when a really huge earthquake begins.
Tom Patty, who heads the Nissan account at Chiat Day, has written about it at his agency's web site. Like many, he senses that a major implosion is underway that will reduce auto retailing to a handful of national giants with major factory clout.
Lots of
earth-
shaking
stuff, but
no O. J.
jokes on
this site.
Business
as usual is over. Those who can't evolve, and those who don't
care for the flavor of the new game, will mostly be bailing out
over the next few years. The survivors will compete against the
sheer firepower that billion dollar public offerings can buy.
Some will survive by playing their home court advantage and developing
a broader customer base. Others will do it by streamlining operations,
and better managing the enormous information load that surges
through any busy dealership.
That's
the part of the equation that your freeway-close hacker knows
best. As a veteran of the car biz, I think it's essential for
the independent dealer's survival.
