Stable teams and a retail-first used car strategy are driving volume at one Florida store, even as affordability squeezes buyers. On today’s edition of CBT Live, Parth Donda, Store Manager at Hyundai of New Port Richey, explains how the dealership sold more than 600 vehicles in September.
Donda notes that consistent year-over-year growth drove the 606 sales, supported by a stable team and a policy of retailing every used vehicle the store takes in. He adds that the store remains steady as the market softens and expects a record year for used-car sales, with more than 3,000.
Additionally, Donda said low turnover also anchors the store’s results, as the same managers and salespeople have stayed in place since Lithia acquired the dealership in 2021. Further, Lithia promoted four finance managers from the sales floor between 2025 and 2026, as its Developing Automotive Retail Talent program brings in new hires through local universities.
On the used car side, the store stopped “wholesaling vehicles” after Donda took over, no matter how low the price. He said the store sold about 40 vehicles under $5,000 last month, while those low-price deals didn’t bring in much profit, they built word of mouth and led to lease/certified pre-owned sales to the same families.
Moreover, used sales climbed from about 1,700 in 2024 to 2,800 last year, with Donda expecting the store to sell more than 3,000 used vehicles this year. Looking to 2027, Donda said he wants to recapture the fixed-ops business that has gone to independent shops and quick-lube chains.
