ATLANTA — Meeting dealers where they are is the driving force behind Manheim’s expanding mobile auctions and growing offsite digital sales. Due to dealer and commercial consignor demand for more remarketing options, Manheim is expanding its mobile auction network to new cities in the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Today, Manheim conducts more than 65 mobile auction sales each month, with dealers typically realizing on average a 63 percent sales rate. And, special offsite digital sales hosted by major commercial consignors, such as Toyota / Lexus Financial Services, are also growing, creating a unique auction experience for buyers.
“Pioneering mobile auction sales over a decade ago, we’re proud of our efforts to deliver a more convenient way for dealers to access needed inventory to grow their businesses,” said Patrick Brennan, senior vice president of Marketplace at Manheim. “We’ve also heard that our sellers are looking for ways to reduce costs, better compete and move inventory faster—and our team is helping make to make this happen every day.”
Hosted via dedicated units outfitted to conduct sales in-person and via Simulcast, Manheim’s mobile sales include an auctioneer and support staff, along with services dealers appreciate, including financing, condition reports and assurance solutions. Not only does Manheim bring the technology and expertise to host an auction anywhere, anytime, it also uses targeted marketing to bring an average of 1.25 online and in-person buyers per car run in each sale.
When Findlay Automotive in Henderson, Nevada was looking for a way to better build their brand with their wholesale buyers, they decided to go with Manheim’s mobile sale. Chad Leavitt, chief accounting officer, said of the experience:
“We were looking for a solution that would allow us to control the logistics of the sale, have dedicated auction support, and host at a convenient location. The Manheim mobile sale has allowed us to do all of these things, and the metrics have exceeded our expectations on every level. Our sales percentage, attendance, and percent of MMR success have proven that we made the correct choice to do a mobile sale with Manheim. This is exactly what our group needed.”
Consignors provide the vehicles and location, with the ideal mobile auction candidate having at least 100 vehicles for sale each month. In addition to delivering a targeted buyer base, mobile auctions also enable consignors to reduce transportation and travel costs normally incurred with physical auctions.
Recently added mobile sales include:
Commercial consignors are also getting into the offsite auction scene by hosting creative events that combine a unique experience with live bidding. Conducted with a live auctioneer and inventory digitally displayed, these offsite sales create a compelling proposition for buyers—and a successful selling format for consignors.
Consignors have held these sales in attractive locations such as a vineyard in California’s wine country; Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado; and even on the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier in San Diego. These offsite digital sales are tremendously successful, with consignors selling over 70 percent of their inventory, on average.
“The variety of specialized clientele and the desire to deliver top of market service and results fuels Manheim’s efforts to deliver customized solutions for our clients,” added Brennan. “It’s just one more way we’re giving our buyers and sellers what they want and need: choice in how they do business with us.”
About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 18,000 team members help Manheim offer 8 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $58 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.
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