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Automotive Shopping Trends

By Libby Murad-Patel, Fuel Contributor

The Silver Lining in Automotive Shopping Trends

We have all been inundated by reports from various media publications over the past 18 months that have been following the downward trend of the automotive industry in the United States, particularly as it relates to the domestic brands, formerly known as “The Big Three” of Detroit.  The recent credit crunch has stifled vehicle sales throughout the country and consumer confidence has reached an all-time low.  Despite the gloomy sales numbers being reported from many manufacturers, there are optimistic trends in consumer behavior as it relates to online automotive research that are worthy of recognition.  As manufacturers tighten budgets from research and development down to advertising, it is important to note that consumers are seeking automotive information like never before, and their greatest resource continues to be the internet.

ComScore Shows Growth of Audience in the Automotive Category

Reports from J.D. Power and Associates 2008 New Autoshopper.com Study quote that 75% of new vehicle buyers are using the internet in their vehicle shopping process, up from 70% in their 2007 study.  Despite the negative economic variables mentioned above, comScore is also showing growth in automotive audiences that are using the internet in their shopping process.  The automotive category within comScore comprises of traffic to manufacturer, retail and third party automotive research sites based on panel audiences.  Year to date trends are showing a 3% growth in the automotive category over the past ten months.

Though it is obvious that the market has slowed down in terms of vehicle sales, we can rest assured that the demand for vehicles hasn’t disappeared. Consumer needs may shift towards more economical, fuel efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles, but the utility of a vehicle still exists, and the patterns in online automotive shopping behavior are the silver lining in the automotive world today.