Reynolds and Reynolds Co. has acquired Gubagoo, a retail technology vendor that specializes in conversational and digital retailing tools, the company said Tuesday.
Privately held Reynolds, of Dayton, Ohio, said the addition of Gubagoo to its product line, which includes dealership management systems, customer relationship management systems and other software tools, expands what it’s calling a Retail Anywhere strategy. The approach gives dealerships the ability to work with vehicle buyers anywhere they shop — whether online, in person or in some combination of the two — while allowing retailers to maintain control of the process, Reynolds said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Reynolds is constantly looking for ways to enhance our solutions, and with this acquisition, we are making another investment in the future of our business and our dealership customers’ long-term profitability,” Robert Burnett, Reynolds’ CFO and executive vice president of corporate development, said in a statement. “Incorporating Gubagoo’s digital retailing and chat technology into our Retail Anywhere platform will further empower our dealer partners to compete and win against their competition.”
Gubagoo works with more than 6,500 dealerships, including more than 5,000 franchised dealerships in the U.S., the company told Automotive News this year. Its products include live chat tools for dealership websites and a virtual retailing platform.
Gubagoo’s technology also powers Asbury Automotive Group’s omnichannel retailing platform, Clicklane, which launched late last year.
“We are excited to join the winning team at Reynolds,” Gubagoo CEO Brad Title said in a statement. “We are looking forward to accelerating our pace of innovation, as we continue advancing our conversational commerce and digital retailing tools to help dealers win the future.”
Gubagoo will stay an independent brand and retain its name, Reynolds spokesman Greg Uland told Automotive News. The company will support all Gubagoo customers, regardless of the DMS platform the dealership uses.
Reynolds’ acquisition of Gubagoo follows DMS rival CDK Global Inc.’s purchase last week of digital retailing provider Roadster. The two companies have said the acquisitions expand their capabilities around digital retailing.
Reynolds is in the midst of overhauling its operations as it works to improve its reputation as a partner to its dealership customers and increase its customer base.
