Automotive Shopper Audience Steady As Sales Slow

States showing the greatest week-over-week audience decreases include New York and Massachusetts, both of which have closed non-essential business and have two of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country.  Also on the list is Pennsylvania, which was one of the earliest states to close business. Additional data assessing the most recent three day trend shows that the Pennsylvania audience has largely stabilized following this large initial decline.

States showing the greatest week over week increases have not yet closed non-essential business state-wide, or have allowed showrooms to remain open for sales.  This includes Florida, which has not closed business entirely, while several large counties including Miami and Broward have issued stay-in-place orders. Additionally, while Indiana has issued stay-in-place orders, automotive showrooms have been allowed to remain open for sales.

For dealers located in states that are still open for business, this weekend represents an opportunity to capture additional shoppers and sales, as additional shut-down orders are expected in the coming days and weeks.  For dealers operating in states that have limited business activity, there are signs that the immediate audience dropoff will stabilize and shopping activity will continue online.