This year’s  JD Power  Automotive Forum, which preceded the  New York International Auto Show  last week, was once again an opportunity to catch up on the retail side of the business (which is always educational for me) as well as emerging industry trends. The up-front global economic outlook and U.S. automotive outlook set the stage, with the expected array of less-than-encouraging numbers: labor market challenges, the retail sales shift from discretionary to essential goods