Episode #1267: CarMax taps a hospitality CEO to sharpen its digital edge, Toyota makes a disciplined move into three-row EVs with the Highlander name, and AI-generated resumes are creating new hiring headaches for retailers and operators.
Show Notes with links:
- CarMax brings in a hospitality heavyweight to steer its turnaround. The nation’s largest used-car retailer has tapped former InterContinental Hotels Group CEO Keith Barr to lead the charge as sales stall and Carvana gains ground. His mission: sharpen digital retail and squeeze costs.
- Barr takes over in March, replacing Bill Nash amid stagnant sales and rising competition from Carvana.
- CarMax operates 250+ stores covering 85% of the U.S., but retail volumes fell 8% last quarter.
- The focus: improve online conversion, streamline vehicle acquisition and reconditioning costs.
- Analysts say CarMax’s omnichannel model may be confusing buyers and hurting digital sales.
- Barr is confident: “All those foundational pieces are there… we’re going to sell more cars and continue to create more value for shareholders.”
- Toyota is making a calculated move into EVs with the Highlander EV—on its own terms. By putting the Highlander name on a three-row electric SUV, the company signals a strategic shift rooted in discipline, profitability, and market timing rather than rapid expansion.
- Toyota preserved margins while competitors absorbed heavy EV losses, maintaining flexibility as demand cooled.
- It’s entering the most profitable U.S. segment—three-row midsize SUVs—with a name buyers already trust.
- Domestic production in Kentucky reduces tariff exposure and political risk while strengthening its U.S. footprint.
- Leadership under CEO Koji Sato appears focused on controlled scale and sustainable growth.
- AI may be speeding up hiring—but it’s also muddying the truth. New survey data shows a growing disconnect between what candidates claim on resumes and what they can actually do on the job, with AI tools making embellishment easier than ever.
- 80% of hiring managers say resumes often don’t match real-world skills; 34% say it happens “all the time” or “often.”
- Retail examples include POS “experts” who couldn’t navigate the system and candidates who folded instantly in negotiation role-play.
- 86% of hiring leaders believe AI makes it too easy to exaggerate skills; 42% see it as a serious hiring risk.
- Meanwhile, 80% of hiring managers dislike AI-generated resumes, and over half are less likely to hire obvious AI users.
- As Express CEO Bob Funk Jr. put it: “Integrity is still a competitive advantage.”
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