New Season, Increased Opportunity

This is the best selling opportunity we have seen in quite a while

Our Season Starts Now

The first selling season of the year is here! From March through the end of May, the game is on.  A big-league baseball manager once said, ‘Every spring, we open a new chapter, ready to start fresh.’  This year, you may be managing a new roster of salespeople, with a unique set of circumstances, but the start is here, and March, 2025, is a clear winner with everything to increase sales.

Saturdays, Paydays & Longer Days

5 Saturdays, 3 Paydays, and 2:00 am, Sunday, March 9^th highlight Increased Sales Days. Be ready. March 1 is the first Saturday, and the first payday.  March 9^th is the nation ‘springs forward’ with Daylight Savings Time, always a positive. The second payday on the 15^th is also a Saturday, and with the 30^th falling on the final Sunday, the potential is there for 26 great selling days.

The goal of a good marketing plan is to create traffic through the entire month. By strategically managing when Direct Mail drops, email blasts are sent, and broadcast or OTT TV airs – you drive the response!  While your plan should already be in place, make sure your message is showcasing your strongest advantages: every price on every vehicle with the most up-to-date rebates and incentives.  The payoff for extra attention to accurate merchandising is having your name rise to the top of the shopper’s list.

More To Be Positive About

Before addressing Increased Returns and Rebates, the case can be made for the market already feeling more positive about their role as a consumer.  US Labor Department date in January showed consumer spending grew 4.2% in Q4 of 2024, the fastest since early 2023 and, a half percentage point more than the 3.7% pace in Q3 of 2024. Also, the growth rate of household disposable income after taxes and inflation rose to 2.8% in Q4 of 2024 from 1.1% the previous quarter — this was the result of higher wage gains leaving consumers more to spend, and soon, many will have even more to spend.

Increased Refunds

Experian noted if a taxpayer’s income, withholding, filing status and tax credits remained the same this past year, 2025 could deliver an increased refund – and the IRS has now confirmed it. As of January 31, 2025, more than 3.2M tax refunds have been issued, averaging 30% higher than the previous year.  The role of a tax refund in the buying/negotiating/qualifying process is a game-changer.  Is your dealership planning to match a customer’s refund up to an even bigger figure?  Many will, don’t get left out.

Increased Rebates

While the media is debating the possible tariff on automobiles, current shoppers are singularly focused on that factory’s incentives.  These buyers should be encouraged, and sites like realcartips.com led their February update with an upbeat note, “Those looking to buy or lease a new car this February are in store for MUCH BETTER deals compared to last year! Inventories on new vehicles have risen back to normal levels, incentives have been increasing across the board with larger rebates, better 0% finance deals and much better lease deals.”

With new incentives coming in days, and looking at the most recent days-supply of vehicles, Strong Automotive Research Director Bill Marefka feels positive as well. ‘With the exception of Toyota and Honda, most models are in good supply.  It is wait-and-see, but incentives could be the best offers in 3 to 4 years.”  Marefka advised putting the sharp pencil to every price, since Cars.com shows historically during these periods of peak demand, cars’ average sale prices can rise by 10% to 15%.

Write Your Record

In closing, a quote from former Yankee baseball legend, Derek Jeter, “Opening day is a fresh page of an unwritten book.”  March 1 is our opening day, and the selling season continues through April and May.  Do all you can to take advantage of the increased sale days, refunds and incentives to put all the sales you possibly can on your books. More good news – May is another 5 Saturday month!