Most car shoppers use smartphones on dealership lots, and most of those mobile shoppers are comparing vehicles and reading car reviews. But when are these multi-tasking mobile shoppers on the lot? Using our patented Lot Insights technology, Cars.com examined the peak shopping hours and days of the week for mobile shoppers to find out. Here’s what we learned:
- Saturday afternoon is peak time for mobile shoppers. For franchise dealers, foot traffic reaches its peak from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., and for independents, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. These windows are easily the most popular times for mobile shoppers.
- Sundays and Thursdays are the least popular. Both franchise dealers and independents see considerably less traffic on Sundays and Thursdays. (The drop-off in Sunday traffic is likely influenced by the existence of blue laws in some states that prohibit car dealerships from being open.)
- Afternoon reigns. No matter what the day of the week, visits from mobile shoppers tend to peak from the hours of 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. for independents.
Both franchise dealers and independents should prepare their salespeople to be ready to engage with mobile shoppers, especially during the afternoon hours when their visits peak. For instance, assume that mobile shoppers are comparing your vehicles with your competitors’. Don’t shy away from asking, “How’s the research going? Are you finding any models you want to talk about?” And encourage them to use their phones on the lot. If your dealership offers free WiFi, make sure you let them know about it.
For more detail on our January On-the-Lot report, check out the following report. And, check out all of our monthly reports here.
