For years, stocking decisions have been driven by instinct. Experienced managers “just knew” what would sell. But instinct, while valuable, cannot keep pace with the complexity of today’s market.

Predictive analytics changes that. By analysing finance renewals, CRM history, web searches, and regional trends, dealers can now identify the exact cars that will sell fastest and at the best margin. According to PwC’s 2024 Automotive Data Analytics Outlook, retailers using predictive models are cutting aged stock by up to 20% and achieving margin uplifts of 2–3 percentage points.

Steve Larkin, MD at Ebbon Intelligence, is clear about what this means:

“Data doesn’t replace instinct, it refines it. The dealers who combine experience with analytics will outperform those who rely on hunches every time.”

This shift from gut feel to data confidence is more than operational—it’s cultural. It requires leadership that trusts the numbers as much as they trust their experience.

Dealers who make that shift will find that they’re no longer reacting to the market; they’re predicting it.