It's in the volume

The auto dealer who complains in negotiations that he barely makes a profit might actually be telling the truth.

That's because auto dealers are ranked No. 9 on a list of least profitable industries recently published by Raleigh, N.C.-based data analytics firm Sageworks. Auto sales, with a 3.2% profit margin from June 30, 2015, through June 30, 2016, are one spot ahead of grocery stores, which posted a 2.5% margin.

At least in theory, large grocery chains and auto dealers can make it up in volume. Lakeland-based Publix, for example, had $32.4 billion in sales last year, which makes a 2.5% margin a bit easier to swallow.