Despite the decline in new car sales, Sales Manager Joe Marken expects more business on the repair and maintenance side of of the dealership. (Photo by Julie Grant)
Not too many people are buying new cars these days. But that’s not all bad news for auto dealers. Julie Grant reports that more car owners are starting to spend money on repair and maintenance:
Transcript
Not too many people are buying new cars these days. But that’s not all bad news for auto dealers. Julie Grant reports that more car owners are starting to spend money on repair and maintenance:
(sound of construction)
Now there’s a sound you don’t hear every day anymore. Especially at a car dealership. It’s construction.
This Toyota Dealer in Kent, Ohio is in the midst of a 12-million dollar expansion.
Sales manager Joe Marken says they’re renovating the repair and maintenance garage. That’s where he’s starting to see the most growth.
“People are looking at, ‘do I want to encumber myself with a 60 month payment of some sort, or do I want to spend X and know that I can get a year or two more years out of whatever I’m doing?'”
Marken says lots of people don’t know if they’ll have a job in the next year or two.
The National Automobile Dealers Association expects more people to spend money on parts and service nationwide this year.
They say there’s an upside – maintenance improves gas mileage and resale value of the vehicle.
For The Environment Report, I’m Julie Grant.