As Sales Slump, Sonic Automotive Ramps up Chain of Used Car Omnichannel Stores

The auto industry is in a steady decline thanks to supply chain hang-ups, chip shortages and other factors, but that isn’t stopping Sonic Automotive from continuing to expand its EchoPark Automotive brand with the opening of its newest retail hub in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to a Tuesday (April 5) press release.

The new spot is EchoPark’s 37th location and the third in North Carolina, joining a retail hub in Charlotte and a delivery center in Greensboro, the release stated.

“Expanding EchoPark’s footprint within our home state of North Carolina has always been an important part of our growth plans for the brand,” said Sonic Automotive CEO David Smith in the release. “We look forward to welcoming guests from across North Carolina and surrounding states to enjoy our award-winning guest experience, whether they’re buying a car or simply selling us their current vehicle.”

EchoPark guests can shop in person or take delivery of their vehicles at the new Raleigh location after shopping online at EchoPark.com and choosing a pre-owned vehicle, according to the release.

“North Carolina remains a key market for us as we continue to execute our growth strategy to meet the increasingly strong demand for pre-owned vehicles across the nation,” said Sonic Automotive President Jeff Dyke in the release.

Trends haven’t been particularly positive across the auto industry lately. General Motors said last week that unit sales were down 20% for the quarter that ended March 31, while Honda was off 23% and Toyota’s sales were down 15%.

Read more: New Vehicle Sales Declines Go Beyond Inventory, Chip Shortage

The annual run rate of new vehicle sales stands at a bit more than 13 million, down from a bit more than 15 million last year, up slightly more than 3% from 2020’s levels.