Leading Automotive Marketplaces & Retailers in Q2 2024: An In-Depth Analysis

Introduction

The automotive marketplaces and retailers industry in the US continues to thrive, with leading brands like CarGurus LLC, CarMax, and Cars.com driving significant traffic across their digital platforms. This article delves into the performance and trends of these brands from Q1 to Q2 2024, leveraging data from Sensor Tower's comprehensive tools.

CarGurus LLC

CarGurus is renowned for its robust digital presence, encompassing its website, cargurus.com, and the CarGurus: Used & New Cars app.

• Audience Trends: CarGurus maintained a stable monthly deduplicated audience consistently above 10M. The website saw a peak in visits in May with over 133M visits, while the app maintained a steady monthly active user base around 840K.

• App Engagement: With monthly active users hovering around 840K, the app reflects continued interest in mobile platforms.

• Ad Spend & Channels: CarGurus reduced its monthly advertising expenditure from over $1.9M in January to approximately $1.1M in June, with significant impressions through channels like OTT and Facebook.

CarMax

CarMax's digital ecosystem includes its website, carmax.com, and the CarMax: Used Cars for Sale app.

• Audience Trends: CarMax's website attracted over 87M visits in June, with a strong monthly deduplicated audience exceeding 8.4M.

• App Engagement: The app consistently recorded monthly active users around 230K, indicating stable engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: CarMax's monthly advertising expenditure decreased from over $4.3M in January to roughly $2.3M in June, with OTT and Instagram being key channels.

Cars.com

Cars.com maintains a significant digital footprint with its website, cars.com, and the Cars.com - New & Used Cars app.

• Audience Trends: The website's visits peaked at 76M in May, while the monthly deduplicated audience remained stable at over 7.7M.

• App Engagement: The app maintained a steady monthly active user base around 1.3M, demonstrating a strong mobile presence.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Cars.com increased its monthly ad spend from approximately $1.7M in February to over $2.1M in June, with Facebook and OTT as dominant channels.

Conclusion

The US automotive marketplaces and retailers sector is vibrant, with CarGurus, CarMax, and Cars.com leading the charge. Sensor Tower's unparalleled data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provide a comprehensive view of these brands' digital strategies, highlighting their cross-platform user engagement and advertising efforts. These insights offer strategic advantages for decision-makers looking to optimize their digital presence and marketing spend.