Farley Is Pleased, Best Buy’s Warehouse Studio Service, Wazers Rejoice

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It’s an energetic Tuesday in Retail Automotive as we cover Ford CEO Jim Farley’s recent comments as the EV certification deadline closes. We also cover Best Buy’s move to meet consumers where they are at, as well as an in-car integration with the popular mapping app Waze

• Ford CEO, Jim Farley seems pleased that about two thirds of US Ford Dealers have opted in to the new EV certification plan that will allow enrolled dealers to continue to sell EVs beyond 2023
  • 1920 Dealers have signed on with 85% choosing the top, Certified Elite track 
  • It’s not easy going as NY, Illinois, Connecticut and others have filed lawsuits, protests the Motor Vehicle Board, and involved US Senators noting potential violations of franchise laws to which Ford disagrees with
  • Farley maintained that Tesla started this bet against the dealer model and he intends to compete to keep it: “The future of the franchise system hangs in the balance here,” Farley said. “The No. 1 EV player in the U.S. bet against the dealers. We wanted to make the opposite choice.”
  • Farley said he stands by the rollout of the program stating, “There’s always a better way, But I don’t think we made, really, any big mistakes
• Did you know Best Buy has a 40,000 sq/ft warehouse next to its HQ where 120 employees are on-set in a studio like environment ready to give virtual human-to-human service on ten categories of products from cameras to treadmills? 
  • Served over 250k people since 2021 in what the company calls ‘digital clienteling’ 
  • Customer satisfaction has increased 20%
  • Customers initiate connections with virtual store experts through the website or app and can interact via text, chat, phone calls, live-streaming or screen sharing.
  • 200 additional remote team members from across the enterprise available to provide expertise for the virtual store
  • Best Buy’s online sales this fiscal year are on track to generate five times the digital sales pre-pandemic
• Wazers around the world rejoice as Renault becomes first car manufacturer to package the popular map system Waze directly into vehicle’s multimedia system without the need for a smartphone
  • “Having Waze’s real-time navigation, routing and alerts built into the display of Renault’s vehicles, makes for a simplified and seamless driving experience,” said Aron Di Castro, director of marketing and partnerships at Waze.
  • This is made possible by the vehicles’ use of the Android Automotive OS also being currently integrated with other manufacturers: Polestar, General Motors, Chevrolet, and Volvo with Honda also on the way
  • The deep integration of the Google software will give drivers increased control over many more elements of the driving and media experience including the ability to control smart devices at home through the vehicles voice controls

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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