Auto’s Verschueren maintains turnover rate in a challenging market

Reacting faster to market changes

Doing business became more complex after COVID. Margins came under pressure and price adjustments became more sensitive. “If we don’t monitor effectively, we react much slower. Post-pandemic, we saw that dealers were reluctant to adjust their prices. They ended up paying the price later.”

While monitoring used to take place about once a month, today it happens every few days. Only vehicles where the market has shifted are adjusted. This limits risk and protects margins.

From gut feeling to KPI-driven inventory management

Due to growth, manual follow-up became unsustainable. Insight beyond our own stock was lacking. “We were effectively blind beyond our own stock. We couldn’t see the value of various vehicles in the market.”

Today, days in stock and turnover rate are fixed KPIs in commercial reporting. Monitoring is continuous, not retrospective.

Inventory liquidity as leverage in bank negotiations

A significant shift lies in the financial substantiation. Inventory is no longer viewed solely as volume, but as liquid capital. “When I talk to banks today, I can demonstrate that our inventory is marketable. In the past, you didn’t have that insight,” says Ward.

Continuous insight into turnover increases inventory liquidity and creates more room for bank financing. For an independent player, this is a crucial factor for further growth.

Data supports experience, it doesn’t replace it

When purchasing, bulk offers are first pre-filtered using data. This is followed by a manual assessment. Expertise remains decisive, but without blind risk. “Data supports our experience and market competencies. The decision remains ours, but we no longer make it without substantiation.”

Professionalizing without becoming dependent on major market movements

Auto’s Verschueren did not grow explosively in volume—about 2 percent—but consciously chose control over speed. The focus was on stability, competitiveness, and KPI transparency.

In a market where margins are under pressure and geopolitical factors play a role, rapid adjustment is not a luxury but a necessity. For Auto’s Verschueren, data is not a replacement for experience, but the necessary layer to remain competitive as an independent player.