CBT News is delivering exclusive coverage from the NADA Show 2026 in Las Vegas, bringing dealers and industry professionals the latest insights shaping the retail automotive industry. In this on-site conversation, Jim Fitzpatrick sits with Randy Kobat, Chief Commercial Officer of Lotlinx, to discuss how dealers are managing rising inventory costs, using VIN-specific marketing, and reactivating inactive leads to move aging vehicles efficiently.
Key Takeaways
- Rising interest rates and growing inventory levels have significantly increased the cost of holding vehicles, making each unit on the lot a high-risk financial asset. Dealers can no longer rely solely on time to move inventory and must actively manage exposure on a VIN-by-VIN basis to control floorplan expenses and protect cash flow.
- High-performing dealers are shifting away from blanket marketing and aggressive early price reductions, instead ensuring that every vehicle receives targeted, VIN-specific shopper activity. By matching in-market consumers to the exact vehicles they are searching for, dealers can generate demand across their entire inventory portfolio, not just the fastest-moving units.
- Re-engaging previously inactive or “dead” leads has become a key strategy for improving inventory efficiency. Solutions like Lotlinx’s Revive allow dealers to identify shoppers who are still actively researching weeks after initial contact, creating new opportunities to move aging units while preserving gross and avoiding unnecessary price compression.
Catch all of CBT News’ coverage of the 2026 NADA Show here.
