Click Dealer Data Proves February Slump

February has been the worst month for enquiries about a used car or van over the past two years but has then been followed by a big bounce indicating that dealers should plan to carry stock and manage their businesses accordingly.

A new analysis of Click Dealer customers shows a clear seasonal pattern. Last year the average enquiry rate in February was 106 with a steady monthly rise from then to a high of 140 in the peak summer period which was topped by July. In 2018 the figures were lower throughout and the market flatter, as it was across the car trade overall but the trough in February of 74 leads still rose to the peak of 94 by late summer, again underlining the seasonal trend.

Turning to sales last year, the spring spike in enquiries in March and April after the February low is mirrored by a rise in sales also which then continue at a relatively stable rate until both leads and sales start to tail off towards winter.

Mirrored by a rise in sales

Outside factors may have skewed the data a little because nationally the second-hand market saw a Q2 drop of around 3% as the economic and political situation hit consumer activity across the board but we believe the hard data can still help steer dealers as they prepare for the coming year.

Jamie Baker, Click Dealer Marketing Manager, said:

“We now have a good picture of 2018 and 2019 enquiry trends for our sample dealers. The fact that the overall shape of each year is similar is interesting and implies 2020 may follow a similar trend with a slight drop in February, an increase through to July/August, a steady drop then to November and a significant drop in December.”

In future blogs we will look at how having a product such as ClickEngage and a 24/7 facility for handling enquiries will help a dealership cope with, and make the most of, Click’s increasingly digital market place and what it means to those who have the best systems in place.

For more information on Click Dealer’s services, contact The Clickers on 01782 478 220. You can also reach us via marketing@clickdealer.co.uk or through our contact page.