Insights
Automotive, consumer and technology
insights from carsales
No Victorian COVID-19 fines for car buyers
Victorian government confirms that automotive trade is an essential service.
Seller’s market for used cars
COVID-19’s effect on Australia includes an unexpected impact on the volatility of pricing and stock availability of used cars.
carsales supports Victorian dealers with ‘Open for business’ marketing
carsales has gone on the front foot on behalf of Melbourne car dealers, ensuring consumers know they are open for business.
Search behaviour review: June 2020
What were the models and keywords on the minds of Australian car buyers?
Auto Pulse: Strong activity and June new cars surprise
Strong car-shopping activity continued in June on carsales.com.au – Australia’s #1 for cars.
June VFACTS: New-car sales rebound
Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz fuel new-car market recovery.
How to source more inventory, more profitably
Procuring a good supply of in-demand and profitable used vehicles has never been more important.
Download Edition 19 of carsales Auto Market Watch
Gladiator off to flying start, SUV onslaught, Australia’s most wanted cars – download Edition 19 of carsales Auto Market Watch.
How to maximise record car-shopping activity
Record online car-shopping activity and extra-busy Saturdays... here's how to get the most out of them.
Search behaviour review: May 2020
What brands, models and segments are Australian car shoppers searching for the most?
carsales achieves record audience in May as interest in cars surges
carsales achieved a Unique Audience of 4.8M people in May 2020 – 35% higher on the same month in 2019.
RedBook reinforces digital; ends print production after 70 years
Online auto pricing powerhouse, RedBook, has printed its last used-car values guide.
May VFACTS: New car market begins recovery in May
A total of 59,894 vehicles were recorded for the month of May, down 35% year-on-year.
Auto Pulse: SUVs and LCVs fuel another record week of car shopping
BMW bounces back, MG resonates with more new-car shoppers, and Australians’ enduring love of used Toyotas continues.
Real car rivals: April 2020
Forget assumptions made on size, price or badge. Understand the models cross-shopped on carsales by buyers.
Consumer sentiment and new car intenders
Deb Heaphy, Head of Customer Experience at carsales shares the latest consumer survey results.
Auto Pulse: Record car-shopping activity on carsales
Audi, Kia, Mazda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz and SUVs were the big winners in the new car arena.
New car sales forecast and creative brand messaging
Understand the prospects for the new car market for the rest of 2020 with Matthew Farrell, Co-Founder of Blue Flag.
Australian auto market observations and predictions
Ben Sullivan, Head of Automotive Services at Potentiate talks market recovery, payment types, online sales and more.
Auto Pulse: More views and enquiries for dealers
Car buying activity on carsales.com.au continued to grow as social distancing measures were eased across the country.
RedBook Inspect makes remote trade-ins easier during COVID-19
Remote sales transactions are easier by booking an evaluation of a trade-in vehicle at the buyer's home.
How Germany’s car dealers are meeting buyer needs
Remote purchasing, extended test drives and guaranteed buybacks... discover how German dealers are innovating.
Effects of COVID-19 on UK and German auto markets
Car sales, public transport, car-sharing and appetite for subscription have all been affected by the pandemic.
Why you should add badges to your carsales listings
Hear from Ren Blanning about the power of the new 'badges' enhancement.
How to nail a video call
Utilise video calls to enhance the virtual showroom experience for prospective buyers.
Auto Pulse: Are dealer sales opportunities set to grow?
Non-car owners enter market, used activity strengthens, new-car views exceed pre-Covid volumes.
Car ownership to rise post COVID-19
Concerns around hygiene, contact with others and convenience have made Australians re-think transport.
VFACTS April: Monthly sales halve
New-car sales fell by 48.5 per cent last month, setting a new precedent for the industry.
Auto Pulse: Make the most of increasing buyer activity
How visible are your inventory and brand? Shopping on Australia’s #1 for cars continues its steady upwards trajectory.
‘Buy from home’ off to a flying start
Progressive car dealers have not wasted time adopting carsales' latest innovation.
Friction free: Sell cars remotely with new ‘Buy from home’ feature
Highlight that you can deliver a sales transaction from the comfort of home.
Auto Pulse: Consumer engagement rebound continues
Growth across key audience and engagement metrics continues in late April.
Consumer sentiment: Intention to buy a car increases
Are Australian consumers beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Real car rivals: March 2020
Forget assumptions made on size, price or badge. Understand the models cross-shopped on carsales by buyers.
Auto Pulse: Signs of growing market optimism?
Here's what caught our eye on carsales recently.
Five things to do in AutoGate today to improve performance
Quick things to do in AutoGate that can make a big difference.
Survey reveals Aussies still want to buy cars right now
16.8% of respondents to a carsales survey are ready to buy now.
Australia’s dealers are doing it tough
carsales dealer survey has shown that Cash flow is their chief concern.
Auto Market Pulse: March 23 – 29, 2020
The buyer behaviour and trends that caught our eye on carsales last week.
VFACTS March: Market slumps 18 per cent
Toyota, Holden, Kia, Subaru and MG defy COVID-19 slump.
Badges honour that dealers are ready to assist
Champion 'extra-mile' features on carsales with new badges feature.
Tips and tricks to help make your videos stand out
Video is the perfect way to engage with customers and influence their car-buying journeys.
8-step checklist to sell cars virtually
Consider how you can adapt your business to the needs of buyers with the following initiatives.
How to sell via your virtual showroom
Buyers are still viewing your cars online. Here are tips to help you sell your cars via your carsales virtual showroom.
How to make cars safer to drive
It’s important to consider appropriate hygiene and cleaning regimes for your test vehicles.
Auto Market Pulse: March 16 – 22, 2020
The buyer behaviour and trends that caught our eye on carsales last week.
Stay connected with car buyers via SMS
The Dos and Don’ts for maximising the opportunity with buyers through SMS.
carsales research shows Aussies are still looking to buy cars
19% of respondents planning to buy now, and 50% planning to buy within the next month.
4 free things to do today, to sell more cars tomorrow
Quick, efficient and cost-effective business improvements will make a big difference in these times.
Car buyers out in force push carsales to record high
In a record result, carsales served 28.7m sessions in February 2020 – an increase of 16% year-on-year.
VFACTS February 2020: Market falls 8.2%
Challenging times for the automotive industry, with Holden the first domino to fall.
Contextual strikes back
3 reasons why contextual targeting is the best advertising bet in 2020.
EV search on carsales spikes 634% in January
Consumers, brands and industry gear up for Electric revolution.
Talk Digi to me
Learn more about the art of digital conversation with young car buyers.
VFACTS January 2020: Market falls 12.5%
Kia, Volvo, Porsche, Skoda, Lexus and RAM continue their strong performance.
5 reasons carsales Media can deliver higher ROI
Contemplating print, outdoor or radio investment? Consider carsales media for better results.
How Kia bucks against sagging new car sales
Korean brand anticipates growth of four to five per cent for 2020.
Real car rivals brought to you by RedBook IQ
Forget assumptions and discover the models in-market buyers cross-shop on carsales.com.au.
Build trust to maximise buoyant used car activity
Building trust through vehicle inspections is a direct path to greater profitability.
2019 VFACTS year in review
It wasn't all doom and gloom: Discover the brands that bucked the market trend in 2019.
VFACTS December 2019: Green shoots for luxury
HiLux, Ranger and Corolla fill the podium and luxury ticks upwards as market falls to lowest level in eight years.
Shine a light on your business in the centre of buyer activity
Ensure that your brand is highly visible in contextual environments frequented by in-market car buyers.
VFACTS November: Kia and premium brands find growth
November was another great month for premium and European brands, while Mercedes-Benz leaps over Holden.
More buyer eyes on you this summer
In-market buyers take advantage of increased leisure time to hunt down their next car.
Are we building an industry of spreadsheet warriors?
Are objective-based buying and measurement delivering stronger results or restricting your growth?
My Big Fat Purchase Journey
The trials and tribulations of the new car buying journey for a twenty-something, first-time buyer.
There’s a new Content King in town
There is no doubting that video consumption is red hot right now - and influencing new car purchasing.
VFACTS October 2019: Kia and luxury SUVs continue hot streak
Toyota retains top spot thanks to HiLux, Corolla and RAV4, but Kia and Hyundai only top 10 brands to improve YoY.
Insights and Innovation at AADA 2019
Understand the key themes emanating from this year’s Australian Automotive Dealer Association convention in Melbourne.
Always On and Always Effective: carsales Brand Terms Buyout
Brand Terms Buyout is one of the safest investments a brand can make as part of their ‘always on’ marketing strategy.
Views from Frankfurt Motor Show 2019
Discover the views of three senior carsales journalists from inside this year’s Frankfurt show.
A smarter way to do business: Promote Automation
Promote Automation is the most effective way to get more buyer eyes on your inventory.
VFACTS September 2019: Mitsubishi, Mazda and Kia resist downturn
New car market downturn continues, but not for Mitsubishi, Mazda and Kia.
Best used cars for 2019 revealed
Mazda scoops up multiple awards in the 2019 carsales Best Used Car awards.
6 insights to better understand Australian car buyers
Understand the behaviour of Australia's largest and most engaged car buying audience.
How to avoid being duped on audience data
The reality is your highly targeted digital media investment is likely not reaching the intended audience.
VFACTS August 2019: Nissan, Kia and prestige brands defy decline
Top 10 brands struggle while prestige brands reclaim lost ground, as new car sales fall 10%.
Shift metal fast: Sales Event
Evening out the sales curve - Sales Event is ready to tackle the challenge.
carsales innovation tackles number plate cloning
Cars uploaded for sale on carsales will have their number plates automatically blurred.
Dealer increases view to enquiry conversion with Video
Australians are consuming more video online than ever before and it’s increasingly influential in their car-buying journey.
Millennials and Cars
Keep these factors in mind when marketing and selling to millennial car buyers.
Race to the bottom on price? Not quite right …
52.9% of searches were not sorted and buyers viewed their results in the default Featured view.
9 tips for enhanced sales performance
Take better advantage of strong online buyer activity with these powerful tips.
Minimise holding costs with market-targeted pricing
A market-driven pricing strategy backed by real-time data, helps stock listings attract more attention and buyer enquiries.
Product Spotlight: Pre-Launch Model Showcase
Get a head start on sales targets by increasing awareness, consideration and interest at the time of a vehicle’s launch.
Social spotlight: Driving qualified enquiries through retargeting
Discover three secrets to optimising your approach to social media retargeting and getting bang for your investment buck.
5 ways RedBook Inspect delivers business improvements
Vehicle inspection reports from RedBook Inspect drive better business outcomes that flow to your bottom line.
Profitable pricing and stocking decisions made easier
A market-driven pricing strategy backed by real-time data will ensure listings attract more buyer attention and enquiries.
VFACTS July 2019: New car market still sluggish
Australians are still favouring dual-cab utes and SUVs over passenger cars when it comes to buyer behaviour.
How many cars has Tesla sold?
Ever since the pioneering electric carmaker’s 2012, Tesla's sales have remained a burning topic in the Australian automotive industry.
VFACTS May 2019: Kia wins as sales fall in election-affected month
Kia and the new Toyota RAV 4 amongst big winners as the overall market declines 8.1% YoY.
Why are electric cars so expensive?
The major grievance is that electric vehicles are just too expensive to buy. Will this be overcome?
4 ways that a Mobile Car Appraiser improves profitability and efficiency
Leading Australian and global dealers have advanced to an intuitive, customer-friendly and measurable mobile process.