Logistics bottlenecks are compounding shortages caused by the ongoing microchip shortage that has slowed production across the industry for more than a year. That has left dealerships with plenty of customers who are eager to buy but running low on patience.
Walt Tutak, general manager of Matthews-Hargreaves Chevrolet in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, said he also has sent staffers to pick up orders at area General Motors plants in the hopes of earning more allocation for the store later.
“If they give you 10 pickups and you sell those pickups in about a seven- to 10-day period, you’re going to earn more, so the faster you sell it, the more you earn, and then when they have extra inventory, they’ll give it to you,” Tutak told the News. “But the secret is to turn it fast.”