UCSS61201
USED CARS
STUDIES
DEALER
SOURCING
March 2010 – March 2012
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL USED CAR BUYERS
FIRST CONTACT THE DEALER BY WALKING INTO THE DEALERSHIP
Almost two-thirds of Used Car Buyers (63%) who walked through a
dealership’s doors did not establish contact with the dealer prior to
their initial visit.
THE INTERNET IS THE MOST USED AND MOST INFLUENTIAL
SHOPPING SOURCE AMONG USED CAR BUYERS
SOURCES USED DURING THE SHOPPING PROCESS
WHAT SOURCE PRIMARILY LED TO THE DEALERSHIP
INTERNET
INTERNET
62%
REFERRAL
25%
DRIVE BY
NEWSPAPER
12%
REFERRAL
TV
11%
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
9%
OUTDOOR ADS
RADIO
6%
MAGAZINE
5%
DIRECT MAIL
5%
44%
17%
15%
11%
5%
OTHER
TV
2%
NEWSPAPER
2%
DIRECT MAIL
2%
MAGAZINE
1%
RADIO
1%
OUTDOOR ADS
1%
62% of Used Car Buyers used the Internet during the shopping process,
while 44% say the Internet is what primarily led them to the dealership.
KEY INSIGHTS
The Internet is the primary way consumers shop for a car.
The Internet drives walk-in traffic in addition to
trackable prospects. Relying exclusively on phone
calls and emails greatly underestimates the true
value of online automotive advertising.
Dealerships should implement processes to continually
source walk-in traffic to better understand what is
really driving shoppers into the showroom.
Effective online advertising not only influences what
makes and models buyers consider, it also influences
which dealers they buy from.
ABOUT THE STUDY
The AutoTrader.com Dealer Sourcing Studies were created to understand how car buyers make first contact with the
dealership and what influences them to choose specific dealerships. AutoTrader.com commissioned KS&R, an independent
market research firm based in Syracuse, New York, to conduct the studies among Used Car Buyers of AutoTrader.com dealer
customers. 78,256 Used Car Buyers who purchased between March 2010 and March 2012 were surveyed.
The aggregate results of these sourcing studies, conducted at 1,120 dealerships, reinforce a consistent trend that has
emerged in recent years: Nearly two-thirds of Used Car Buyers make their first contact with a dealership by
walking in. Only a little more than one-third of used buyers make initial contact with the dealership via email or phone, a
strong indicator that the industry should work toward developing metrics that provide greater value attribution for walk-in
traffic. The study further confirms that the Internet continues to be the primary way people find the cars they purchase.
© 2012 AutoTrader.com, Inc., All Rights Reserved. “AutoTrader,” “AutoTrader Classics,” “AutoTraderClassics.com,” and the AutoTrader Classics logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TPI Holdings, Inc., all used under exclusive license.
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