Manheim expanded its Digital Block sales, adding seven more locations with in-lane bidding with a live auctioneer; however, vehicles are only displayed on screens and never travel down physical lanes.
The new sites are Manheim Nashville and Manheim Central Florida and Manheim Fort Myers; Manheim Pensacola; Manheim Daytona Beach; Manheim Jacksonville and Manheim Lakeland in Florida, according to Manheim. They join a recent addition of four sites in Pennsylvania and two sites in Houston, bringing the total number of Digital Block sale locations to more than 50 nationwide.
“Dealers using Digital Block sales tell us they are saving time by viewing and bidding on cars on the same day,” said Alan Lang, Manheim division vice president. “And, consistent with our re-opening plans, we follow strict safety protocols, including adhering to state and local guidelines such as following the 250-person capacity per sale rule at our Pennsylvania-based locations.”
Year to date through August, Manheim saw over two million digital transactions, which is more than 40% higher than the same period last year.
Since the pandemic, Manheim’s actions to re-open its operations have included:
Allowing clients onsite to view inventory beginning May 1.
Providing Manheim’s Lot Vision vehicle tracking system to help clients efficiently locate vehicles, currently in place at 19 locations.
Enabling sellers to rep vehicles on the block starting on June 8. While some sellers took advantage of this option, many others chose to use Manheim’s Remote Seller Tool.
Piloting in-lane bidding (Digital Block sales) beginning the week of June 22 with five locations.
As Manheim celebrates 75 years of industry innovation and leadership in 2020, the company is moving forward with a Digital First marketplace strategy to transition its auction marketplace into a single client experience maximized for digital interactions and supported by efficient and flexible physical operations, according to the company. This includes unifying Manheim’s digital platforms, such as Manheim.com and Simulcast, with its physical assets to give clients an enhanced experience no matter how they choose to conduct business.
Another effort underway is Manheim’s investment in the next generation of vehicle information. This initiative is designed to give clients even more information digitally – more images, higher quality visuals and more mechanical and safety data – to help remove subjectivity and drive greater buyer and seller confidence.
