posted 02-11-2006 09:50 AM         

"Just as we're right-sizing our manufacturing footprint, we have to right-size our dealer footprint as well," Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, said at a conference sponsored by J.D. Power and Associates. The conference was held the day before the start of the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Mark LaNeve, vice president of sales and marketing for GM, said GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group have a dealer network that was established 50 years ago, versus the newer and smaller networks of competitors like Toyota Motor Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. That hurts individual GM dealers' ability to make a profit, he said.

"We've made some progress, probably not as quickly as some dealers would like us to, but we have to be respectful of all the situations," LaNeve said.

GM has 6,800 dealerships for the Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Cadillac and Chevrolet brands and 438 Saturn dealers in the United States. Ford has nearly 4,400 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealerships. GM controls about 26 percent of the U.S. market, while Ford controls about 18 percent.

By comparison, Toyota has 1,430 U.S. dealerships and controls 13 percent of the U.S. market. Toyota spokeswoman Denise Morrissey said Toyota has commitments from dealers to open another 39 dealerships soon.

Steve Goodall, president and chief executive officer of J.D. Power, said the bloated dealer structure at Ford and GM hasn't gotten as much attention as other issues they're facing. After suffering billion-dollar losses in North America in 2005, GM and Ford are planning to close facilities and cut a combined 60,000 jobs in the next several years. They also have won concessions from the United Auto Workers to help with spiraling health care costs.

But Goodall said the number of dealers "is as significant a legacy issue as is the manufacturing, health care, and union issues these companies also face today."

Ford division dealers sell about 780 vehicles per dealership, while Toyota division dealers sell almost double that, Goodall said. That puts significant pressure on Ford dealers, he said.

Suburban dealerships are the most in danger, because customers can easily drive to another dealer, Goodall said. He said dealers can boost their bottom line by adding used car sales, consolidating showrooms and improving their service departments, but that can be difficult.

"No question, if a dealer is not making money, they're not going to provide the level of service that someone else is," Goodall said.

Fields and LaNeve said the problem of having too many dealers isn't as critical as legacy costs and the market share slide they have been experiencing. LaNeve said having a lot of dealers is, in some ways, a competitive advantage.

"Ideally, as we move forward, I think we will take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves to reduce the number of dealers," LaNeve said. "But it's not a major initiative. We're not out actively doing that."

LaNeve said GM has cut its dealerships by 20 percent in the last 10 years, in part because the company ended the Oldsmobile line. Sales fell about 10 percent in that time period, he said.

Fields said Ford's top 1,200 stores in major markets have the best sales per dealership in the industry, but the company's totals are dragged down by small, rural dealerships that sell fewer vehicles but are a critical part of the network.

Fields wouldn't say where he would want to cut dealerships, but he said Ford could use more dealers in the West and South. Ford has 1,000 fewer dealerships than it did five years ago, Goodall said.

"This trend will continue, and the dealer body, overall, will be strengthened as a result," Goodall said.

posted 02-13-2006 12:11 PM         

The dealers didn't want to buy into this system. I guess at some point they will do it whether the dealers want it or not.

There are some good points and bad points to the system. The people that live in outer areas that are serviced by a local dealer will suffer the most having to drive many miles to look at and get service on their new car.

It my help if the dealer network were to be company owned if they can do it with the customer 1st as a mind set. For the most part I do not care for BIG DEALERS. too much red tape. They treat the people bad knowing they have many more customers coming.

The small dealers are usually friendly and helpful without being PUSHY. Give you a better feeling your sale is important to them.

Time will tell if they can manage to recover and hold their own in the global economy of auto manufacturing

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Originally posted by tangled up in BLUE:
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Executives from General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said Friday they need to reduce the number of dealerships they have as their U.S. market share shrinks.

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How can they do that? I thought folks BOUGHT the dealerships and they are independantly owned and operated (hence the reason they can price gouge with every new model that comes out)

I would think that would be a pretty big fight if they went to a dealer that paid a bazillion dollars for a franchise (or several) and they told him/her they are now out of business.

I agree with the whole internet thing though. That is the only way I've been buying cars for the last 8-9 years. I research what I want, sometimes take a test spin locally, then broadcast emails to 20-30 dealers within range and see who responds and who has the best price. Sometimes it's local, sometimes I drive 200 miles but, each time it was worth it. Plus, you don't have to deal with the boobs they typically have on the showroom floor (that know nothing of their product) or that meet you at your car to make the sale.

posted 02-14-2006 03:06 PM         

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Originally posted by YellowFever:
Plus, you don't have to deal with the boobs they typically have on the showroom floor (that know nothing of their product) or that meet you at your car to make the sale.

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Originally posted by brianwlong:

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Yeah, I loved the guy that told me they only had the convertible prowlers left. Really? You sold all the coupes? His reply, YES! Amazing.

Or the salesman and the GM who both swore there was no such thing as a "Black-Tie" Prowler till they got out the order book and saw it.....

Internet sales folks (that I have dealt with) seem to be ALOT more technical and sauvy about what they sell. Couple of emails back and forth, price and transport agreed and it's totally painless. Also, about 40% of the time I never have to leave the house and the car is delivered to my door. Of course, sometimes that is at 2 in the morning but, I'm not complaining......

When the new VW Beetle came out, there were (maybe still are) a couple of colors you could get the car in. That you could only get over the internet. Dealers couldn't stock or get those colors.