Toronto, Ontario — Does the increasing willingness of consumers to buy auto parts online predate social isolation policies, as a new report has found?
An Ohio-based digital marketing company specializing in the automotive sector says online auto parts sales were up by 42 percent in the first full week of May, compared to the first week of March.
The figures, which were based on its analysis of 12 million online users and purchases of parts and accessories from American and Canadian online marketplaces, suggest that consumer interest in online automotive purchases actually pre-dates the widespread adoption of social isolation policies.
As a point of comparison, last year, the first full week of May saw nine percent more sales than the first week of March.
According to the firm, the last week of April saw even more consumer interest in online automotive marketplaces, with the period of April 12-May 2 seeing overall sales rise 62 percent above the first week of March.
At least one online vehicle sales business is reporting an increase in overall vehicle sales as well since March.
According to a recent report, its researchers found that the number of people interested in buying businesses online had more than doubled in Canada since the beginning of March. Prior to the report, the company says 31 percent of would-be buyers were willing to consider shopping online. More recent numbers show that 62 percent of would-be buyers had expressed a desire to buy online.
While the percentage may have doubled, the total number appears to reflect the percentage of people who are still interested in buying vehicles. Six percent of those considered would-be buyers prior to the outbreak were found to have put their plans on hold.
