RV Trader Sets Traffic & Dealer Lead Records, Releases Exclusive New Market Data

Survey Results to Be Discussed at RVDA Create Roadmap for Dealers in Shifting RV Market

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Nov 12, 2019, 11:45 ET

NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RV Trader, the #1 online marketplace for RV shoppers, hit new milestones in search traffic and dealer connections in October with more than 4.6 million site visits and nearly 387,000 emails, phone calls, map-to-dealership searches and website referrals generated directly from RV Trader listings. The numbers represent a 4% increase in shopper traffic, equating to 40,000 additional buyers, and a 323% surge in consumer-to-dealer connections compared to October 2018, generating more sales opportunities for dealers than any competitive source.

That record-setting performance coincides with the release of a new RV Trader report that provides valuable insights for dealers seeking to optimize business in today's changing RV landscape. The report, RV Buyer Trends: Who's Buying and How Can You Capture Their Attention, is based on a survey of more than 2,000 consumers who shopped for an RV in the past two years. Key findings include:

Younger buyers – With Baby Boomers gradually aging out of the RV market, 53% of RV purchasers are now 55 or younger. 26% are millennials (age 21-35) and 27% are Generation X-ers (age 36-55). Both groups also earn more and have different purchase motivations than older RVers.
Differing renter demographics – RV renters are significantly younger than RV buyers, accounting for 63% of the rental audience compared to Gen-X-ers at 30% and Baby Boomers at 7%. They are also more often employed, have larger households, and are driving the double-digit increases in rental revenue being reported by nearly two out of three dealers.
New renter/buyer segment – The survey identified a new industry trend – renters who convert to buyers. 76% of renters reported they are likely to purchase their own RV within two years. Renter/buyers typically rent at least twice before deciding to buy and are more affluent than renters with 48% earning $100,000+ annually.

The survey also documented extensive details about the path to purchase, including the predominant role played by online research, information that RV shoppers want to see in online listings, and expected response times and communication preferences when interacting with dealers.

The full survey report, available at https://rvtradermediakit.com/rv-consumer-trends-whitepaper/, also provides recommended sales, marketing and operational strategies that leverage these and other survey findings to help dealers build visibility and customer engagement.

"The strong growth in RV Trader traffic and dealer inquiries over the past nine months is clear evidence that consumers are still actively shopping for RVs despite the recent downturn in RV shipments and sales. It also shows that RV Trader is their go-to source for information as well as an essential lead generator for dealerships," said Paige Bouma, Vice President for Trader Interactive's Recreational Brands including RV Trader. "Our RV Buyer Trends whitepaper provides detailed information for dealers who want an in-depth understanding of the modern RV consumer, and it also supplies a roadmap for navigating today's shifting RV market in order to attract, engage and influence both buyers and renters."

Bouma will be discussing how the RV Trader survey findings and industry insights can help dealers take advantage of the growing popularity of RV rentals in The Rise of the RV Renter: Tapping into the Newest Revenue Stream, her presentation at 2 pm Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the RVDA conference in Las Vegas. The complete schedule of RVDA educational sessions is posted here.

About RV Trader
RV Trader is the industry-leading marketplace for buying and selling new and used RVs, including Class A, B, and C vehicles as well as campers and trailers, with more than 2.5 million unique monthly visitors. Listing inventory through RV Trader helps dealers increase their visibility, generate customer connections, drive sales and maximize profits. RV Trader is a division of Trader Interactive and belongs to the well-known "Trader" family of linked brands. For more information, visit www.RVTrader.com.

About Trader Interactive
Trader Interactive connects buyers and sellers in the powersports, recreational vehicle, aircraft, commercial truck, and equipment industries through a broad portfolio of marketplaces that reach 9 million unique monthly visitors. Linked by a widely recognized family of "Trader" trademarks dating back several decades, the company's innovative digital marketplaces leverage artificial intelligence on a cloud platform to improve the lifestyles and livelihoods of consumers, customers and employees by seamlessly connecting people to vehicles for work and play. Trader Interactive's family of "Trader" brands includes lifestyle vehicle marketplaces Cycle Trader, RV Trader, ATV Trader, PWC Trader, Snowmobile Trader and Aero Trader, as well as commercial equipment segments Commercial Truck Trader and Equipment Trader. In addition, the company powers thousands of dealership websites through Commercial Web Services and RV Web Services, and offers unique data insights and technology that assist dealers in more effectively running and marketing their dealerships as well as better serving their customers. The company has more than 350 employees and is based in Norfolk, VA. For more information, visit www.TraderInteractive.com.

SOURCE RV Trader