Automotive Business Magazine – Q3 2026 – Digital edition - Flipbook - Page 45
OPINION
RE TA I L
Stocking decisions
are evolving
→ Wendy Swaine is head of strategic relationships at Solera cap hpi
T
he days of filling a forecourt
on instinct alone are largely
behind us. Experience still
matters, and good stock
buyers will always have a feel
for the market, but today’s
environment is moving too
quickly for dealers to rely on
gut feeling alone. Margins are
under pressure, consumer demand can
change rapidly, and the wrong buying
decision can leave valuable capital sitting
idle for months.
That is why the strongest performing
retailers are becoming far more
disciplined in how they acquire stock.
The starting point is access to
accurate, up-to-date market intelligence
that reflects what is happening now, not
what happened several weeks ago.
Dealers need a clear view of vehicle
values, retail demand, depreciation
trends, and the impact factory-fitted
options can have on a vehicle’s true
market value.
This is where trusted data providers
have become increasingly important to
the industry. Daily valuation updates,
residual value forecasts, vehicle
specifications and options data help
dealers make more informed purchasing
decisions before they commit their
money. Today, having confidence in
the underlying data is a commercial
necessity rather than a competitive
advantage.
A multi-levelled market requires realtime data. For example, while overall
values softened through May, BEVs
moved into positive territory, increasing
by around 1.2% at the three-year point.
This marks the first sustained period
of positive movement since late last
year and reflects a shift in underlying
market dynamics, with the gap between
wholesale and retail pricing now better
aligned and improvements in trade
performance feeding more directly into
live values.
However, having good data is
only one part of the equation. Most
dealerships already hold a huge
amount of information within their own
businesses, from sales performance
and website enquiries to finance
penetration, lead conversion rates and
stock ageing reports. The challenge is to
make sense of that
information and turn
it into decisions that
improve profitability.
Rather than asking
managers to work
through multiple
spreadsheets and
reports, AI can
analyse thousands
of data points from
across the business in
a matter of seconds.
It can identify
which vehicles
consistently generate
enquiries, which
models sell most
quickly and which
stock profiles deliver
the strongest returns.
AI also offers a
more forward-looking
view of the market.
By analysing local demand trends,
seasonal buying patterns and shifts in
consumer behaviour, dealers can make
stocking decisions based on where the
market is heading rather than where it
has been. That creates opportunities
to stay ahead of competitors rather
than constantly reacting to market
movements.
The retailers that combine trusted
market data with intelligent analysis to
buy the right vehicles at the right time
and price will succeed. In an increasingly
competitive market, that combination is
becoming one of the most effective ways
to improve stock turn, protect margins
and drive sustainable growth.
Valuation
updates,
residual value
forecasts, vehicle
specifications
and options data
help dealers make
more informed
purchasing
decisions”
Q3 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
45
