6th Highest March in Almost 50 Years, Retail Follows Auto Industry

Automotive State of The Union

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Episode #1020: We’re breaking down retail sales insights for March (not just auto) driven by pre-tariff buying sprees as we dive into data from Cars Commerce’s latest Q1 report. We also talk about a household brand that helps people build things, diving into helping them be more engaged gamers.

Show Notes with links:

Market data is in for March and it was the 6th highest March for new car sales since 1976 largely driven by pre-tariff buying. Our friends at Cars Commerce is making these insights available for free in their Q1 Industry Insights Report
- March sales grew 11% YoY, pushing the Q1 average up 4.8% YoY despite January and February being up only 1%
- Average new-car prices hold steady at ~$49,000 for the last 18 months which is holding at 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
- Trade-in values are expected to rise in the coming months, fueled by anticipated increases in new-car prices driven by tariﬀs.
- $30-$49K cars are now the fastest growing segment as tariffs threaten sub-$30K Inventory
  - 89% of sub-30k vehicles are made outside the US
  - Only the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and the soon to be discontinued Chevy Malibu are made in the US
- Tesla and non-Tesla EV search intensity is trending toward parity for the first time as Tesla searches dropped 11% YoY
Retail sales made a strong rebound in March, rising 1.4% from February to $734.9 billion, with automotive leading the pack. But inflation fears and consumer sentiment paint a more complex picture for future spending.
- Retail sales jumped 4.6% year over year, with a sharp March rebound after February's weak 0.2% gain.
- Auto and parts dealers led the way, up 5.3%, tightening new and used vehicle inventories.
- Inflation dropped for the first time since May 2020, but tariffs threaten future price hikes.
- Consumer sentiment fell 11% in April to 50.8, the fourth straight monthly decline.
- “The consumer is not feeling great given the confusion of policy announcements from Washington,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.
Lowe’s is embedding itself directly into the sports gaming world through EA Sports titles as the home improvement giant targets younger, gaming-savvy audiences where they already spend time.
- Lowe’s branding will appear in games like Madden, College Football 26, and EA Sports FC.
- A “Stadium Pulse” feature will showcase Lowe’s during intense in-game moments.
- Players can earn in-game perks tied to MyLowe’s Rewards in future Ultimate Team challenges.
- eMarketer found that interstitial ads, or full-screen advertisements displayed during natural breaks in a user’s experience — such as between levels in a game — are often skipped by gamers, but opt-in video ads “that offer an incentive to click, like an in-game reward, can succeed, but it depends on how valuable the reward is.”

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.
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