NADA 2026 was a Milestone for The Shop - and for me Personally.
This year marked the first time The Shop exhibited with our own booth. We’ve attended NADA before, walking the floor and having conversations, but this was different. This was our second birthday as a business, and we showed up with intention. Seeing our booth set up across from the Ford booth during installation, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the team that brought it to life.
The energy throughout the event was incredible. I’ve attended many NADA conferences over the years, and this one felt next level. There’s something powerful about being in the room with dealers, vendors, media partners, and industry leaders — having real conversations about what’s working, what isn’t, and where we’re all headed.
One of the most common questions we heard was simple: “What is The Shop?"
That told me we’re still in brand-building mode — and that’s okay. We’re only two years old. NADA gave us the opportunity to clearly explain that The Shop exists to help dealers save time, save money, and create peace of mind. We’ve spent decades collectively vetting vendors, negotiating solutions, and validating results. The marketplace brings that experience together in one place, so dealers don’t have to navigate it alone.
I also heard a lot about where dealers get stuck. Choosing the right solutions can be overwhelming. There’s market research, negotiations, contract terms, onboarding, and the big question — will this actually deliver results? Every one of those friction points is part of the reason we created The Shop. We want to help dealers sort through the noise and make confident decisions.
Of course, we’ll measure quantitative outcomes from NADA — dealer enrollments, meetings, and follow-ups. But I truly believe there’s also a qualitative return that matters just as much. The unplanned conversations. The unexpected introductions. The validation that comes from hearing, face-to-face, that what you’re building is resonating. For a newer brand like ours, simply being present and engaging at that level is meaningful.
We also saw tangible examples of impact. More than 500 dealers have already taken advantage of our Amazon Business Prime partnership, which brings better purchasing controls and reporting into their dealerships. Our commercial-focused solutions, like Work Truck Solutions, are gaining strong traction. And in one case, we connected a dealer who had no lot security with a vetted partner to explore new protection options. Those are the kinds of outcomes that matter.
NADA was also a learning experience. I believe there’s only winning and learning. We stress-tested ourselves — our messaging, our booth experience, our vendor collaboration. We left with a clear list of improvements for next year and even stronger conviction in what we’re building.
At the end of the day, everything we do comes back to one principle: Dealers first. If we help dealers become more successful and more profitable, we’ve done our job.
NADA 2026 reinforced that we’re on the right track — and that we’re just getting started.
