Manheim's Dealer-Based Mobile Sales Grow 52%

Manheim's mobile sales have grown 52% in the past year from online auctions hosted at 47 locations around the country, Manheim announced.

Dealers who host these auctions have seen a 75% to 80% average sales conversion rate and growth of their wholesale business, according to the auction provider. The growth in this sales channel has enabled dealers to sell inventory faster on their own lots, and reduce holding time and transportation costs.

One dealer group, the Findlay Automotive Group in Henderson, Nev., told Manheim the mobile sales have added convenience and sales success.

"We were looking for a solution that would allow us to control the logistics of the sale, make sure we had dedicated support from the auction, and a location that was convenient for us," said Chad Leavitt, Findlay's chief accounting officer. "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."

The mobile sales are hosted by a dealership and supported by a trailer, RV or portable sales equipment. The events feature a live auctioneer and support team at the location. Each month, Manheim hosts more than 70 mobile auctions.

“We see strong participation from buyers participating in mobile auction sales via Simulcast and want to increase the opportunity for digital buyers to purchase these vehicles that have not been seen at a physical auction," said Randy Beil, Manheim's vice president of mobile and local. "To make this happen, we are piloting daily listings of vehicles from all mobile auction sales in the Carolinas on a Mobile Auctions Online Vehicle Exchange (MOVE) section on OVE."