News & Insights

NADA 2025: Themes and Trends We Expect at the Show

Written by Ben Jastatt | Jan 20, 2025 3:00:00 PM

NADA 2025 is just around the corner. We’ve taken a deep dive into this year’s sessions and talked to dealers heading to New Orleans. The hot topics? Navigating a rapidly changing retail landscape shaped by cutting-edge tech, shifting workforce dynamics, and rising customer expectations. From the game-changing potential of artificial intelligence (no surprise) to delivering seamless customer experiences, we’ve pinpointed four key trends and must-attend sessions packed with actionable insights to keep your dealership ahead of the curve. 

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration

Context: AI is transforming dealership operations by providing deep insights into consumer behavior, automating routine tasks like customer outreach, and enhancing marketing efficiency. AI is no longer a buzzword; it’s already optimizing dealership performance and improving the customer experience. 

Related Session: "Mastering AI to Transform Your Dealership’s Digital Presence" - Uncover how AI is revolutionizing dealership marketing through enhanced listings, engaging content creation, SEO, personalized customer interactions, and actionable data insights for smarter decision-making. 

2. Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent

Context: The automotive industry is facing an increasingly competitive labor market, making the recruitment and retention of top talent a critical challenge for dealerships. With shifting workforce priorities, including a greater emphasis on work-life balance, career development, and company culture, dealerships must adapt their strategies to attract high-performing employees and reduce turnover.

Related Session: “Attracting and Keeping the Best Employees” - Explore proven strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent, while learning from real-life successes and challenges that shaped a thriving dealership. 

3. Seamless Customer Experiences

Context: Customers expect seamless transitions between online research and in-store purchasing. Dealerships must focus on creating a unified experience, whether customers are browsing inventory online, researching auto insurance costs, or engaging with sales teams in person, to increase satisfaction and loyalty.

Related Session: "Pacing with the Modern Customer" - Learn to navigate the evolving customer journey by leveraging digital retailing strategies that align with customer needs and accelerate sales conversions. 

4. Fixed Operations Enhancement

Context: The service and parts departments are key profit centers for dealerships. It's no surprise that there will be a ton of sessions and conversations focused on efficiency, customer retention, and upselling to improve overall dealership profitability.

Related Session: "Closing the Fixed Ops Revenue Gap" - Discover how video multi-point inspections can bridge trust and enhance customer relationships, operational efficiency, and dealership revenue.

Say "Hi" to Polly at NADA

This NADA is going to be a good one. We can’t wait to see you there.

Stop by and say "Hi" at booth #3527 to see how we’re helping dealers turn insurance into opportunity. Sign up for a demo today and discover why Polly is the partner your dealership needs!