Is 2021 setting car dealers up for even more success than 2020? – Vince Sheehy, Sheehy Auto Stores

Sheehy Auto Stores has a history dating back to 1966 when it was a small car dealership in D.C. and now they have grown to become a household name for many. So how is business doing today, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic? On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome Vince Sheehy, President of Sheehy Auto Stores.

Sheehy begins the conversation by looking back at where he and his business was twelve months ago. While many people struggled in their personal lives with hospitalizations, job loss, and fatalities, automotive dealerships were mostly successful in 2020. Sheehy said that his company learned how to operate well with less inventory. Despite supply dropping, demand was still high leading many car dealers to experience record-breaking profits.

Some car dealers have claimed that they have learned to operate with less, implying that not all furloughed employees were brought back to the car dealerships. Sheehy says this wasn’t the case for his stores though. He said that all employees were brought back to help meet the heightened demand for vehicles. Sheehy does believe returning employees should come back with a new skill set to meet the latest challenges facing the industry.

Sheehy then gives his perspective on digital retailing. Despite new developments, Sheehy doesn’t believe that most of the car-buying process will move online. Customers will pick and choose what kind of buying they want to conduct online, making it very difficult for car dealers to make assumptions about online retailing.

Sheehy concludes the conversation by looking ahead to the spring and summer seasons. He says that his outlook for 2021 is higher than what car dealers experienced in 2020. Numerous industry factors are lining things up to create, “the best year in our history.”

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