![]() Some of this software is available through subscriptions, with costs that range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per year. Available data can help you find your ideal target customers today, as well as help you plan for tomorrow. There is a lot of site selection software out there with built-in demographic information, but those products can offer a lot even if a new store isn’t on the horizon. So far, we’ve been looking at this as a sales and marketing issue, but let’s take a brief detour to consider another use for extensive customer demographic data: Expansion. Even without computer capability, data can be collected at the point of sale right on the customer’s paperwork. You might not get the level of detail that those big, robust databases offer, but you can get some interesting and actionable data. And let’s not forget key contact information like cell phone numbers and email addresses, invaluable for future promotions. If you have POS software that can capture customer specifics, you can gather key information about gender, age, occupation, vehicles owned, how much they are driven, past purchases, and even notes about driving habits and likes/dislikes. Gathering Info From the most basic information to highly specific data about your market, there are many tools available to help tire dealers understand changing demographics.Īt the ground level, there is information that’s available right in front of you, every day. Brand of tires is only important to 20% of the women, according to the study, while “expertise and convenience” are the most important concerns to women tire/service buyers. And deeper data can uncover even more.įor instance, a study of female purchase decisions and buying habits by Marketplace Insights shows that 30% of women will do some research before buying tires, while the other 70% will either buy them right away or not at all. males are in your market, what kinds of vehicles they drive and even where they like to shop. Local demographic research can show you how many females vs. (a partner with Tire Review) and others are there to help dealers understand this unique customer, and how you can convert female buyers into being among your most loyal “promoters.” Today women – single and married – make up the largest share of all tire/service customers, but a lot of tire dealers still don’t recognize this factor and may well be giving up a big chunk of potential business.įor the most part, women tire/service buyers are far different than male buyers they approach the process differently and have entirely different expectations. So if your target customer is under 35, you better be current on the available information about your business, products and services.Īnother example of how customer demographics are important is the increase in female tire and auto service buying decision makers. ![]() Since marketing to those customers is different than marketing to older customers, you might need to adjust your plans based on that demographic.Ī recent study by DMEautomotive, a Florida-based market research company specializing in the automotive field, says that two-thirds of the customers under age 35 are likely to research a tire or automotive service work before buying. ![]() ![]() What can basic demographic research tell us? Perhaps that a growing number of drivers in your market area are under 35. Options also are available to dig into their specific vehicles and habits, from make/model/year to number of vehicles to driving habits. Finding your target customer involves figuring out who has a need for your specific products and services and what their demographic characteristics are, including age, gender, location, income, education, marital/family status, occupation or ethnic background. Many retailers recognize changes and act on them.Ī successful marketing plan includes strategies to maintain existing customers and ways to identify and engage your target customer – that “best customer” that every business craves. ![]() According to a research report in the April 2012 issue of Retail Leader, 76% of retailers had altered their product mix due to changing demographics. Shifting demographics are not always obvious, and your market area is constantly changing on all levels. Keeping existing customers happy while gaining new ones comes from understanding who they are, where they are, and what their needs really are. Only then can we decide the actions needed to get ahead of these changes and remain successful. Others are not so obvious, and in order to be successful as tire and auto service businesses, we need to better understand what is happening in our market and with our customers. ![]()
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