Retail technology company Reynolds and Reynolds has acquired DealerCorp Solutions of Markham, Ont., after a successful test run as a software partner.
The deal was announced April 3. Financial terms were not disclosed.
DealerCorp Solutions is a software company with a focus on developing cloud applications for the auto industry in Canada.
The new deal builds on a partnership that began in August 2021, when DealerCorp allowed Reynolds to become a licensed reseller of DealerCorp’s product, deskit
The program is a digital retailing tool allowing dealers to present sales and F&I options on any screen, including wall-mounted screens, kiosks, tablets and personal computers.
Since the initial partnership, Reynolds said it worked alongside DealerCorp to improve the product and further meet dealerships’ needs.
“Our partnership with DealerCorp over the past two years has proven successful,” Scott Santana, Reynolds executive vice-president of product management said in a statement. “That time really allowed us to work closely with Gordon [Leach, CEO and co-founder of DealerCorp] and his team.
“DealerCorp’s innovation perfectly aligns with Reynolds, and both sides agreed that joining forces was the next logical step to help our customers succeed.
“Reynolds is committed to investing in and growing the Canadian market, as well as delivering a start-to-finish digital retailing process for automotive retailers.
Reynolds says deskit’s functionality has already been integrated with Gubagoo chat and now leverages the Reynolds Retail Management System to connect with more partners and lenders.
Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing lets customers buy from dealers entirely online, or start their purchase online and finish in-store without duplicating steps or wasting time.
Reynolds says the deskit is “an agnostic digital retailing application” that includes elements of digital retailing, F&I inventory solutions and more. The company says it provides online shoppers “penny-accurate quotes that match online and in-store every time.”
Prices determined by deskit use the same calculation engine and algorithms online and in-store, “increasing customer confidence and removing the need to return to a deal in-store in order to match a quoted online sales price.”
As part of the deal, Reynolds also gets DealerCorp’s full portfolio of developed technology and software. That includes stockit, a program that scans inventory invoices and automatically uploads them to deskit.
The deal comes a little more than a month after Reynolds confirmed to sibling publications Automotive News that they were looking to buy other companies or products — or were at least open to opportunities.
Reynolds on Jan. 26 announced during the NADA Show in Dallas that it acquired American Guardian Warranty Services, a provider of vehicle service contracts and other finance and insurance products and services.
Reynolds President Chris Walsh earlier told Automotive News the company would be “acquisition focused” in the coming months.
Walsh added that acquisition targets would generally be around “the things we’re focused on, which is the consumer experience.” Reynolds, he said, is seeking technology that will enable dealership customers “to either plug holes or enhance products that they have to provide a better experience for their customers.”