Mercedes vs. BMW – Battle of the Brands

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Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been rivals for more than 100 years. Mercedes finished 2017 with car sales of 375,311 – just ahead of BMW’s sales of 352,790 – making it the best-selling luxury/premium brand for the second year in a row.  In May of 2018, Mercedes’ brand value surpassed that of its rival.

Both Mercedes and BMW made frequent appearances on our list of the most popular luxury auto brands in 15 US cities. That made us wonder which brand is most popular with US consumers in each state. We used pseudonymous mobile location data from September 2017 to September 2018 to measure foot traffic at Mercedes-Benz and BMW dealerships in states across the US to find out.

Here’s what we learned:

Mercedes makes its strongest showing in states up and down the East Coast, like Maine, New York, Virginia and Florida. Residents of the northwest, in states like Oregon, Montana and North Dakota also put Mercedes at the top of their visit list.

Fans of BMW can be found throughout the Midwest – everywhere from to Wisconsin to Texas and (nearly) everywhere in between. BMW is also the favorite among residents of California and Washington state, and of mid-atlantic states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

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Who’s the Big Winner Out of these Two Luxury Automotive Brands?

BMW – sort of.

BMW is the most visited of the two brands in 33 states – twice as many as Mercedes, which saw more foot traffic in just 15 states. (For Vermont, where both brands are sold by the same dealer, and Wyoming, where neither has a dealer in the state, we called it a tie.)

If Total Foot Traffic is Higher at BMW Dealerships, Why Does Mercedes Lead in Sales?

Dealership foot traffic directly correlates with new car sales – so Mercedes is clearly doing something very, very right. Even though their total foot traffic across all US dealerships is lower than that of BMW – Mercedes has clearly captured consumers’ attention in the markets that drive luxury car sales and doing a much better job of turning the folks that do visit their dealerships into owners.

Want to learn more about how to utilize foot traffic data in your business? Book a meeting with us today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Discover how analyzing real-world movement patterns can reveal valuable trends in customer behavior, optimize business operations, and enhance strategic decision-making.

What is site selection and why is it important?

Site selection is the strategic process by which businesses identify, evaluate, and choose optimal locations for their operations. This process is paramount as the location of a business directly influences factors such as accessibility, visibility, profitability, and market longevity. For retailers, the right site can mean higher customer footfall and increased sales. In real estate, a well-selected site can promise lucrative returns on investment and tenant stability. Financial service firms leverage site selection to position their branches or ATMs in high-demand areas. Essentially, site selection plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success and growth of a business by aligning its physical presence with market opportunities and demands.

How does location intelligence enhance site selection?

Location intelligence refers to the harnessing of geospatial data to derive actionable insights, which can significantly enhance the site selection process. By analyzing data like consumer demographics, foot traffic patterns, competitor locations, trade area data, and more, businesses can make more informed decisions about where to establish or expand their operations. Location intelligence allows for a deeper understanding of market dynamics, revealing hidden opportunities or potential pitfalls. For instance, retailers can identify gaps in the market, real estate professionals can forecast property value trends, and financial service providers can assess areas with high customer demand. Advanced tools, like those offered by Unacast, further refine these insights by leveraging AI and machine learning, enabling more precise and timely decision-making.

What challenges do businesses face in the site selection process?

Unacast provides invaluable support to businesses during the site selection process through its advanced location data and analytics software, all powered and refined by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies. The company offers a suite of products designed to deliver accurate, actionable, and comprehensive location intelligence. This data proves crucial for businesses looking to understand consumer behavior, analyze traffic patterns, evaluate competitor locations, and much more. With Unacast’s robust tools, businesses in retail, real estate, and financial services can derive insightful information necessary for making strategic, informed site selection decisions. The platform not only provides reliable data but also ensures it is readily actionable for businesses, whether they are looking to open a new store, invest in property, or expand their financial services to new locations.

What types of location data are crucial for informed site selection?

Demographic data offers insights into the age, income, and lifestyle of people in a particular area, helping businesses understand their potential customer base. Foot traffic data provides information on the number of people visiting a location, which is crucial for retailers to estimate the store's potential popularity and for real estate professionals to assess an area's vibrancy and demand. Geographic Information System (GIS) data helps in visualizing and analyzing geographical details, supporting companies in identifying accessible and strategically located sites. Understanding the proximity to competitors, accessibility, and the socio-economic profile of the surrounding areas is also vital. Unacast’s platform aggregates and analyzes these various data types, providing a holistic view that significantly empowers businesses in their site selection endeavors.

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