Introduction
Sonic Automotive is the largest automotive retailer in the United States. It is also expanding into other sectors, such as hotels and restaurants. The company has been around since 1985, when it was founded by a group of investors who wanted to create an outdoor shopping center modeled after one in California that they saw while on vacation. The idea was simple: bring together all types of stores—from clothing boutiques to bookstores—into one area where people could enjoy themselves while shopping at different shops instead of just going from store to store inside a mall or strip mall (however you want to describe them).
We’ll start by looking at the history of Sonic Automotive so we can understand where it started and how it got where it is today. Then we’ll examine its top competitors and some advantages/disadvantages about doing business with them before moving onto territory reach etc…
Overview of Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive is an American retailer of new and used vehicles. The company operates in the United States and Puerto Rico, with over 600 automotive retail locations across the country. Sonic Automotive was founded in 1972 by Max Bond, who opened his first store in Oklahoma City. Since then, it has become the largest retailer of new and used vehicles in America. In 2014 it acquired CarMax Auto Superstore, Inc., which allowed them to expand into auctions as well as increase their presence in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
History of Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a subsidiary of Sonic Automotive, which owns more than 40 locations across the United States.
Top Competitors of Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive’s top competitors include AutoNation, Inc., Lithia Motors, Inc., and Group 1 Automotive. These companies are in the same business as Sonic Automotive, which means they also sell used and new cars to consumers. They also compete with each other for customers in this market.
In addition to selling vehicles, these companies offer financing options through banks or credit unions (AutoNation), retail locations (Group 1 Automotive), or their own financing arms (Lithia Motors).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive’s advantages and disadvantages stem from its business model, which is based on the lessons learned from previous acquisitions. The company has acquired a number of auto dealerships in recent years, including more than 80 dealership locations in the past two years alone. While these acquisitions have allowed Sonic Automotive to grow rapidly, they also carry with them some distinct risks.
In addition to being highly leveraged due to high debt levels and an aggressive growth strategy (which includes paying cash premiums for new stores), this model has limited geographic reach since most dealerships are located along major highways or near key cities. This limits the size of their market share compared with competitors that have greater reach throughout multiple regions like AutoNation Inc., Group 1 Automotive Inc., Lithia Motors Inc., Penske Automotive Group Inc., or Westport Resources Holdings LLC (who recently renamed itself Ally Financial).
Territory and Reach of Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive has a large footprint in the United States. The company operates 240 dealerships across 13 states and one Canadian province, with most of the locations concentrated in the Midwest and South.
Sonic Automotive also has a significant presence in the West, where it operates 23 dealerships in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon. In Canada, Sonic Automotive has an additional 21 franchises under its belt; these are spread across Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces.
Future of Sonic Automotive
In the future, Sonic Automotive plans to expand into new business areas. These include service and parts, insurance, finance, pre-owned vehicle sales and collision repair centers. Sonic Automotive is also looking at expanding its operations overseas in countries such as India, China and Brazil.
In 2013 Sonic Automotive was included on Fortune magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the seventh year in a row. The company has over 13000 employees worldwide who work in over 50 locations around the United States!
Takeaway:The leading automotive retailer in the United States, Sonic Automotive is expanding into new businesses as well.
The leading automotive retailer in the United States, Sonic Automotive is expanding into new businesses as well. The company has made a series of acquisitions to expand its used car sales business. In January 2015, Sonic acquired CarMax Inc., a privately held used car retailer with operations in 39 states and Puerto Rico. In April 2016, it acquired Kaufman Auto Group, which operates dealerships in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee; later that year, it bought Brown & Brown Insurance and Financial Services LLC for $1 billion (the largest acquisition by value in automotive history).
Sonic’s expansion strategy includes acquiring companies that specialize in areas like leasing and auto insurance—the latter of which earned $3 billion for Sonic last year alone—and then integrating them into their overall business model.
Conclusion
The business model of Sonic Automotive is very strong and it has been able to withstand the test of time. The company has gone from strength to strength and continues to expand into new areas of the market.
