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Compete, Inc. Predicts February Rebound In Mid-Sized SUV Sales

Forecasted 31 Percent Recovery Reverses Worrisome Drop in January

Boston, MA - February 18, 2003 -- Compete, Inc. predicts that demand for domestic, mid-sized Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) will rebound 31 percent to 104,000 vehicles in February. Compete's forecast of February strength represents a significant turnaround from the worrisome results in January when SUV sales dropped a precipitous 40 percent from December.

Using predictive analytics, Compete has established the connection between consumer online automotive interest and resulting in-dealer sales. Compete analyzes the online behavior of more than 100,000 active online automotive shoppers per month as they research their vehicle choices. As well as tracking online measures of preferences and demand, Compete's forecast of domestic, mid-sized SUVs quantifies the impact of incentives, days in the month, and seasonal patterns. The vehicles included in the forecast are the SUV models from Ford, General Motors and Chrysler Group – Explorer, Trailblazer, Grand Cherokee, Durango, Envoy, Jimmy, Blazer, Aviator, Mountaineer, Bravada, and Rendezvous.

"The online data show that the January drop was not the beginning of an ominous trend," stated Lincoln Merrihew, Automotive Practice Director for Compete. "Online consumer behavior shows demand rebounding sharply in the early days of February. Automakers should calibrate their individual incentive programs for the remainder of the month with the recovering demand that has been observed."

About Compete's Automotive Industry Analytics
With more than two-thirds of automotive consumers now turning to the Internet to research their vehicle purchases, online shopping behavior has emerged as a predictive indicator of vehicle sales – both offline and online. Based on the largest pool of automotive intenders – more than 100,000 active online vehicle shoppers per month – Compete provides automakers with detailed and immediate insights into vehicle demand. With its large pool of online automotive consumers, Compete can segment demand in great detail – by vehicle model, consumer demographics and psychographics and by region of the country. Compete's intelligence services help automakers optimize decisions and monitor performance in four key areas: marketing effectiveness, demand forecasting, spending optimization, and new vehicle launches.