Consumer demand is on the rise in Ontario dealerships, according to a recent third-party study conducted by EQ Works and commissioned by TRADER.
The study looked at foot traffic among 750 Ontario dealerships and shows a significant increase in physical traffic between May and June. Data from the report reveals a 56 per cent surge in unique visitors and an 81 per cent increase in total dealership visits for June.
“Following a few challenging months surrounding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are observing promising consumer behaviour data,” says Ian MacDonald, Chief Marketing Officer at TRADER Corporation. “Recent record-setting traffic on autoTRADER.ca coupled with a significant increase in dealership footfall affirms the auto industry’s current movement towards recovery.”
The dealerships included in the survey experienced a 46 per cent boost in one-time visits during the same period, and saw repeat visits grow by 85 per cent. In June, the autoTRADER.ca marketplace also reached a milestone of 22 million visits. Its previous high was in May.
The study also notes that independent and franchise dealerships appear to be garnering an increase in consumer engagement — with a recorded 36 per cent increase in visits to independent dealerships, an 154 per cent increase in foot traffic for franchise dealerships.
Overall, 17 per cent of all visits took place on Mondays in June, with the busiest visiting hours hovering between 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
