AutoTrader.com said a major retail transaction study that shows the company is facilitating more than $50 billion in sales each year, which is 14 percent of the estimated $366 billion in annual used-vehicle retail sales. The study, conducted by research firm MORPACE International, showed of 8 million monthly unique visitors to the site, more than 1.3 million prospects, defined as people, not simply leads, purchase nearly 600,000 vehicles per month. This means AutoTrader.com users drive $90 billion in sales a year. Of that $90 billion, $50 billion is directed specifically to AutoTrader.com sellers through the sale of more than 4.2 million vehicles.
"Our shoppers represent one quarter of the industry's purchasing power," said Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer, AutoTrader.com. "Other sites quote high numbers of visitors, but many of these clicks are going to parts and accessories or recreation vehicles, while all our visitors come to purchase passenger cars and trucks."
AutoTrader says it has the industry's largest database of listings, at 2.5 million, compared to eBayMotors' approximately 25,000 and Cars.com's approximately 500,000. The J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Used Autoshopper.com Study showed that fully 30 percent of all automotive Internet users (AIUs) purchasing vehicles they found online located them on AutoTrader.com, which represents more than the next five largest competitors combined. Citing a 50 percent growth rate in 2003 and annual revenue over $100 million, AutoTrader.com says it is the category leader. The company's growth, traffic and dealer database, now at 12,000 paying dealers and 40,000 dealers overall, continue to outpace expectations, with the company currently reaching more than 8 million unique monthly visitors, who perform 50 million vehicle searches and view 150 million individual vehicles from a database of 2.5 million vehicles.
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