At KAR, Auction Activities Bounce Back, Move Further Online

By Joe Overby

Exactly seven months ago Friday, KAR Global announced all ADESA auction locations in the U.S. and Canada would temporarily, but immediately, move to simulcast-only amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four days later, KAR would temporarily halt all ADESA physical auction operations, including simulcast, before gradually resuming some simulcast activities beginning in early April.

Operations have been opening up more broadly ever since, with all ADESA locations providing ADESA Simulcast and DealerBlock sales, a company spokesperson confirmed, with all locations are also eligible for Simulcast+ sales. Meantime, in-lane bidding allowed at most facilities, albeit with no vehicles running through the lane.

“We’re pretty much fully open for business,” KAR president Peter Kelly said earlier this month.

Those early COVID announcements may seem like they were both eons ago and also just yesterday, but in any case, the auto auction business has been on quite a ride ever since.

Things have “come a long way,” ADESA president and KAR chief commercial officer John Hammer said when discussing how the past seven months have played out at ADESA.

Read the complete article on autoremarketing.com (behind paywall).

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