In 2021, the Auto Industry Event of the Year will be more important than ever, as we face ongoing challenges and navigate a new era of business for dealers.
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June 16, 2020
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Save the Date: NADA Show 2021 Returns to New Orleans Jan. 21-24

In 2021, the Auto Industry Event of the Year will be more important than ever, as we face ongoing challenges and navigate a new era of business for dealers. Save the date: NADA returns to New Orleans, Jan. 21-24 with the latest workshops and education for dealers, as well as cutting-edge products, tools and solutions from our world-renowned Expo. The information, business connections and industry updates that will be provided at the NADA Show are more vital than ever to auto dealers in this new business climate. Attendee registration and housing will open July 20, 2020. Let’s get back to business and kick off a new yearLearn more.
Source: NADA

Top Stories

Toyota Says Retail Demand Bouncing Back, Inventory Remains 'Lumpy'
Toyota's U.S. dealers are coming off their best weekend since the coronavirus pandemic hit in late March in a continuing display that buyers are once again ready to purchase new vehicles, executives said Monday. But while retail demand is still down about 15 percent from the same point a year ago, the industry is likely to go through several "lumpy" months this summer as automakers continue to ramp up plants after extended shutdowns and reconfigure output in the face of anemic fleet demand, said Bob Carter, head of sales for Toyota Motor North America.
Source: Automotive News

GM CEO Barra Hints at New Product, Promises Full Production Soon
General Motors CEO Mary Barra plans more visits to factories to ensure worker safety, hinted at new products coming and driving the growth of electric vehicles. She also assured workers there are no job cuts anticipated. Barra made the comments on the eve of GM's annual shareholder meeting, during an hour-long Automotive Press Association's fireside chat with reporters. Despite the pandemic, Barra said GM is on track to be at full production by month's end. She will continue to visit plants to check on safety as the company frantically works to restock inventory of its hot-selling pickups and SUVs.
Source: Detroit Free Press  

Ford May Scrap Edge SUV, Puts Canada Vehicle Plant
at Risk

Ford Motor Co. is scrapping plans to make a next-generation Edge SUV, putting a Canadian assembly plant that produces the crossover at risk of closure, according to industry forecaster AutoForecast Solutions. The assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario, used to make the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT, and currently makes only two models: the Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Edge. The Flex and MKT were canceled last year, and Nautilus production is scheduled to move to China after 2023, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. The demise of the Edge, which debuted in 2006 and received a facelift in 2019, would leave the plant with no new product to anchor it, Fiorani said, citing industry sources.
Source: Bloomberg

U.S. Expected to Report Record Rise in Monthly
Retail Sales

U.S. retail sales likely experienced a record rise in May as 2.5 million Americans went back to work, although any rebound will retrace only a fraction of the historic drops in March and April amid the coronavirus lockdowns. The monthly report, due to be released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, is expected to show overall receipts at U.S. retailers jumped 8.0% last month, according to a Reuters poll of economists. That would exceed the previous record increase of 6.7% in October 2001 as Americans resumed spending following what was then a record pullback in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Source: Reuters

Quotable

“I don’t see any further need for (job) reductions. I am really proud of the team across the globe. We've had cost-cutting actions and we’re on a good path now from what we started and built on since 2018.”

– Mary Barra, GM CEO, Detroit Free Press, June 15

Upcoming Dealership Lifeline Webinar Series

“No Contest”: Supreme Court Finds Title VII Protects LGBTQ Individuals From Workplace Discrimination

In a 6-to-3 vote today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that workplace discrimination because of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity — including being transgender — is unlawful discrimination “because of sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The basis for the Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County was summarized by Justice Gorsuch in his majority opinion: “An individual’s homosexuality or transgender status is not relevant to employment decisions. That’s because it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.”
Source: Fisher Phillips

Editor’s Note: Preventing and addressing employment-related discrimination is important. A wealth of compliance assistance information is available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. And, since at least 21 states have laws governing employment discrimination, please check with your state dealer association for additional requirements.

Six Steps Toward More Secure Cloud Computing

For businesses, cloud services are kind of like clouds. At their best, they can be soothing and expansive. But for companies that fail to appreciate the security implications, their ethereal presence may hide dangerous storms within. As cloud computing has become business as usual for many businesses, frequent news reports about data breaches and other missteps should make companies think carefully about how they secure their data. The FTC has six tips for your business about making your use of cloud services safer – both for you and for the consumers who rely on you to safeguard their information.
Source: FTC

Editor’s Note: Dealers are reminded to take steps to ensure the safety and security of cloud-stored data just as with any other data they maintain. NADA regulatory affairs has provided guidance for dealers when considering these or similar data vendor issues which is available here.

NADA Chairman Rhett Ricart: Our Manufacturers Need Us More Than Ever

The COVID-19 pandemic has opened a greater dialogue between automakers and dealers, and we cannot miss this chance for the advancement of the industry that many of us have spent our lives building.
Source: NADA

NADA Market Beat: May Sales Show Signs of Recovery

New light-vehicle sales showed signs of recovery in May, with a SAAR of 12.21 million units. While this represents a decline of 29.8% compared to May 2019, it is a marked improvement over the 47.9% decrease last month.
Source: NADA

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