CarGurus helps dealers expand their reach with Area Boost
Area Boost (previously called ‘Delivery’) is one of our latest offerings that helps dealers expand their reach by showing their deliverable listings to shoppers outside their local market.
By making it easy for low-funnel shoppers to find the exact cars they want, dealers with Area Boost are able to compete in low-supply markets that they weren’t previously reaching. Especially in today’s unique selling environment when most car shoppers would prefer to use contactless services during the purchase process, this product provides a simple way for dealers to increase their exposure and convert a larger audience of shoppers. Participating Area Boost dealers see on average 40% more vehicle detail page views from shoppers in their target market.
Inventory acquisition Q&A: Stocking your lot will take some creativity
Inventory acquisition has long been a pain point for dealers. It requires a combination of data, precedent, and dealer’s intuition to keep a lot stocked with in-demand vehicles that will move. And that’s before you consider other factors that fluctuate like changing consumer behavior, economic trends, and unanticipated events that affect supply and demand.
Dealers have been weathering changes and adapting their strategies for decades. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the industry—particularly, on supply. It’s led to auctions moving online, manufacturing plants being shut down by OEMs, lease extensions, and an overall shift in consumers’ preferences. Together, these variables have added up to a shortage of quality new and used vehicles unlike ever before.
To get a pulse on the topic of supply and hear some ways dealers can adapt, we checked in with CarGurus’ Dealer Relations Team Lead, Benjamin Sacks.
What to expect at Navigate: full agenda revealed!
We hope you have your calendars marked for Navigate, CarGurus’ second annual automotive conference, on October 26th & 27th. This year, the event has been reimagined: it will be held virtually and for free!
We’ve got an outstanding agenda planned—there’s sure to be something for everyone, from dealership owners and GMs to sales staff and marketing managers. With so much to experience at Navigate, we’ve highlighted some of the sessions you won’t want to miss below.
Announcing the winners of CarGurus’ #DrivingDifference contest
Dealers have always been known for their charitable giving, partnering with food pantries, sponsoring local baseball teams, and most recently supporting hospital staff and first responders. Last month, we launched our Driving Difference contest as a way to celebrate and reward those helping out in their communities. We asked dealers to share on social media what they’ve been doing to spread positivity and use #DrivingDifference. We received entries from dealers across the country and, after weeks of anticipation, we are thrilled to announce our winners!
The 15 winners of the $2,500 customized back-to-business kit were selected by a panel of judges based on factors like the impact of their work and creativity. Check out the list of winners below:
Peter Sheahan to share innovative strategies for growth at Navigate ‘20
This October, hundreds of dealers, partners, and industry experts from around the globe will join us virtually for CarGurus’ second annual Navigate conference. The two-day, online event will be packed with a variety of valuable presentations and workshops, including a captivating keynote session from Peter Sheahan, Founder and CEO of Karrikins Group.
Peter and his team at Karrikins Group have worked with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Apple, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Hyundai, IBM, Pfizer, Wells Fargo, and Cardinal Health, helping them accelerate growth and transformation within their business. He’s established himself across the world for his innovative business thinking and thought leadership.
Top 2020 US used car searches on CarGurus, by state
The majority of consumers in the US have seen their life change in some way, shape, or form because of COVID-19. One example of this is people’s driving habits. Daily commutes have changed drastically for many and frequent trips to the store, gym, school, childcare facility, etc. are no longer the norm. Though many, if not most, will eventually return to their previous driving habits, the fact that people are staying home more and driving less has the potential to impact buying activity.
With this in mind, we wondered how such a significant shift in consumer behavior might influence shoppers’ search interest in vehicles this year. To answer this question, we analyzed used vehicle searches on CarGurus for the first half of 2020 and compared it to the used vehicle leads we saw for the same criteria in 2019.
Navigate is back—and it’s going virtual!
Last year, CarGurus introduced the world to a new kind of automotive conference: Navigate. This year, we’re bringing it back—but it’s going virtual! Your safety is our priority, so we’re sharing all the information you need to adapt to today’s rapidly shifting landscape right to you online this year. Navigate will take place over the course of two days: October 26 & 27, 2020. You can still expect an all-star lineup of industry gurus, tech experts, and in-depth workshops you won’t get anywhere else.
WATCH: Looking beyond traditional economic indicators to understand consumer behavior
For a deeper dive into the current state of the economy, it’s important to look beyond traditional economic and automotive data and look more generally at consumer behavior. In around eight minutes, I’ll walk you through the importance of a variety of indicators I’m keeping a pulse on, including:
- Gross movie sales
- OpenTable seated diners data
- Hotel occupancy rates
- TSA checkpoint data
- Gasoline consumption
- Public transportation turnstile entries
