The Future of Automotive Retail & Tech: How Will YOU Buy A Car?

August 17, 2022
Hosted by Bonnie D. Graham

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

The in-person experience of car buying has always been alluring, letting you inhale the new car scent, examine the shiny power under the hood, literally kick the tires, ask questions of a human salesperson, and feel the road in a test drive. Now online car sales are offering a new experience: click it, order it, pick it up, keep-or-return it – and the automotive industry mostly isn’t ready. The Buzz 1: Nearly 30% of U.S. new car sales in 2020 were completed online, compared to < 2% of vehicles pre-pandemic. The overall car shopping experience took less time and was more efficient…the number of dealerships visited dropped. [abcnews ] The Buzz 2: 53% of car buyers would consider buying a car online. [Accenture report in Readers Digest Mar. 16, 2022] The Buzz 3: Prospective buyers, especially age 55–70, are less inclined to want to interact with sellers at car dealerships. [mckinsey] The Buzz 4: Swedish electric performance car brand Polestar, 50% owned by Volvo, is focusing on a digital-first retail model, with company-owned stores in city centers selling directly to consumers. Volvo's electric C40 Recharge compact SUV will only be available online. Online car retailer Carvana sold 244,111 cars in 2020, a 37% jump from 2019. We’ll ask Daniel Grimm at SAP, Guenter Lasser at proaxia, Christos Maglousidis at OneDealer and Moncombu Raju at SAP for their take on The Future of Automotive Retail and Tech: How Will YOU Buy A Car Tomorrow?

Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

Wednesday at 8 AM Pacific/11 AM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel

Technology in many shapes, forms, and devices is already shaping nearly every aspect of your life. How? On your smart phone and tablet with thousands of apps to enhance your work and daily living. On streaming media that lets you watch TV and movies anytime anywhere. On social media where your voice is instantly amplified to reach the world. Think you’ve seen it all? Not! There’s more to come and you’re part of making it happen – right now. Join host Bonnie D. Graham as she speaks with future-focused visionaries on Technology Revolution: The Future of Now, broadcasting live every Wednesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time, on the Business Channel.

Bonnie D. Graham

Bonnie D. Graham produced and hosted her first live talk radio show in 1998 on AM1240–WGBB, Long Island, NY’s oldest terrestrial radio station. A few years later, she moved from terrestrial to Internet radio with her author interview show, “Up Close and Personal.” In 2011, working at the enterprise software leader SAP, she developed the concept for a weekly live global business thought leadership roundtable series on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel – and launched “Coffee Break with Game-Changers” on October 5, 2011. Over the next nine years, Bonnie D. created, produced and hosted 46 additional SAP series on the Business Channel, attracting millions of listeners around the world. Since becoming an independent broadcaster in 2019, she has developed and hosted live radio and podcast series on the Business Channel for eight additional organizations, as well as her own weekly series, “Read My Lips: Cool Conversations with Creatives with akaRadioRed,” on the Empowerment Channel. In 2023, her live-streaming “Technology Revolution: The Future of Now” series was ranked No. 6 on FeedSpot’s Top 70 Technology Podcasts to Listen to in 2023. What powers Bonnie D.’s passion for radio? She “loves speaking with smart people!”

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