Fewer vehicles on dealership lots may not be a terrible thing, Acura told its retailers at their make meeting here Saturday.
“We’re seeing it’s not necessary for there to be an abundant supply on ground, as long as the dealers have visibility into what its incoming pipeline is,” Emile Korkor, Acura assistant vice president of national sales, told Automotive News after the meeting.
Dealers and executives in the meeting discussed the brand’s road to electrification and upcoming vehicles, but also highlighted the learnings they have picked up during the disruption.
There’s some upside for Acura amid an inventory crunch that has left luxury shoppers waiting for their vehicles for longer than is comfortable for the brand, Korkor said. He reported that Acura dealers are now selling as deep as 90 days into their inbound cars.
That allows Acura an opportunity to prioritize the vehicles and configurations shoppers want. It’s not build-to-order, but more like a customer-based demand system that communicates to the factories what types of color, features and trims buyers want.
Pivoting away from the more traditional car-shopping model that used to include same-day delivery also has given Acura a chance to focus on giving shoppers a more bespoke experience that includes a hybrid of digital and in-person sales.
“Our plan moving forward with digitalization is really about creating extremely premium experience for the consumers,” Korkor said.
Acura also is helping dealers facilitate that same premium experience when they visit a showroom, a process, he says, that won’t fade away entirely. “I think you’re always going to have a customer want to interact and create a personal relationship with the dealer.”