Covid Outbreak Leads to More Online Browsing for Automotive Aftermarket Products in the US

Leading supplier of purchase intent insight and marketing services, V12 has shared recent statistics which indicate that movement restrictions during the corona virus pandemic and the need for social distancing has led to more online browsing for automotive aftermarket products in the US. This insight into the change in consumer shopping behavior can be of great benefit to retailers who are willing to be innovative. V12 reported that online browsing for automotive aftermarket products parts increased by as much as 350 percent in the case of national brands like NAPA and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The same pattern was seen in the case of local aftermarket brands also, with an increase of more than 400 percent in online browsing activity.

V12 compiled the statistics during March 2020 using V12 Signals, the company’s in-market shopping technology. V12 Signals Online tracks online browsing activity through proprietary technology. It monitors behavioral data and searches that are done on over 90 percent of internet-connected devices every month.

Andy Frawley, the CEO of V12 said that its V12 Signals Online product provides tremendous insights across industries into the products consumers are searching for on the internet. Though physical visits to retailers might have experienced a decline, there has been a massive increase in browsing activity across the automotive aftermarket, pointing to plenty of opportunities on which brands can capitalize.

According to Anders Ekman, President of V12, “The actions marketers take today will position themselves for long-term success. Consumers are clearly still interested in caring for their cars, and forward-thinking retailers are monetizing the shopping interest that they can today while they reinforce their customer relationships for the future.”