Holiday Car Hire - UK - February 2008

SUMMARY

Abstract

A growth in independent, self-packaged fly-drive holidays and a proliferation of car hire brokers and comparison sites have driven down prices, causing the market to grow by around 10% per annum in volume. Despite this, many consumers still have doubts about this product

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

• Issues in the Market
• Main issues
• Definitions
• Abbreviations
• Market in Brief
• Overtaking sea and tunnel
• Older, richer, sitting comfortably
• 'You've seen the movie now drive on the set'
• Car wash
• Aping aviation
• The price of freedom
• Innovate or stall
• Internal Market Environment
• Key points
• Overseas expansion
• Still flying high
  • Figure 1: Domestic versus overseas holidays, 2002-12
• Quick getaways
  • Figure 2: Percentage of adults booking UK and overseas holidays, 2002-07
• Two's company
• Destinations
  • Figure 3: Outbound holiday visits, by region visited, 2003-07
• Part of the in-crowd
  • Figure 4: Inclusive holidays versus independent holidays, by volume, 2003-07
• Home from home; car from car
• Car ownership
  • Figure 5: Breakdown of car ownership amongst UK licence or provisional licence holders, by gender, age and socio-economic group, September 2007
• Broader Market Environment
• Key points
• Centre of the narrowing travel road
  • Figure 6: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2002-12
• On the road or la strada?
  • Figure 7: UK spending priorities for year ahead, 2005-08
• Driving Miss Daisy
  • Figure 8: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2002-12
• Silver wheelers
  • Figure 9: Forecast adult population trends, by lifestage, 2002-12
  • Figure 10: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2002-12
• Affordable road movies
  • Figure 11: Annual average exchange rates for Sterling against the euro and US Dollar, 2002-06
• Fuelling the eco fire
• Competitive Context
• Key points
• Catching up with ferries
• Rail rises...but in a different market
  • Figure 12: Main methods of travel used for last, or last but one holiday abroad, 2003-07
• Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Market Size and Forecast
• Key points:
  • Figure 13: Forecast of Volume of car hire trips abroad by British residents, 2003-12
• Growth drivers
• Factors used in the forecast
• Companies and Products
• Car hire companies
• Alamo
• Avis Europe plc
• Budget
• Enterprise Rent-a-Car
• Europcar (UK) Ltd
  • Figure 14: Key Europcar financials, 2004-07
• Hertz Europe (Ltd)
• National
• Sixt Kenning Ltd
• Car hire brokers
• Auto Europe
• easyCar
• Price-comparison sites
• Carrentals
• Travelsupermarket
• Distribution
• Key points:
  • Figure 30: Main methods of booking the last holiday abroad of those who hired a car (self-hire), 2003-08
• Holiday Car Hire Usage
• Key points
  • Figure 31: Car hire usage, October 2007
• Treat the rich
• Drive the Dream
• Slowing down and loading up
• The Fast and the Curious
• Cutting costs, not corners
• Holiday Car Hire Habits
• Key points
  • Figure 32: Details of previous car hire abroad, October 2007
• Previous hire habits by demographics
• Key car markets
• Wheels deals and Lovers Lanes
• Backseat education
• The Family Way
• Riding In Cars With Boys (Or Girls)
• Appendix -- Holiday Car Hire Usage
  • Figure 34: Car hire usage, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel's Special Groups, working status, household income, tenure, region, ACORN category, media usage, supermarket usage, household size, car ownership, detailed lifestage groups, age/socio-economic group and terminal education age, October 2007
• Appendix -- Holiday Car Hire Habits
  • Figure 35: Details of previous car hire by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel's Special Groups, working status, household income, tenure, region, ACORN category, media usage, supermarket usage, household size and car ownership, October 2007
• Appendix -- Attitudes Towards Holiday Car Hire
  • Figure 36: Most popular attitudes towards holiday car hire, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel's Special Groups, working status, household income, tenure, region, ACORN category, media usage, supermarket usage, household size, car ownership, detailed lifestage groups, age/socio-economic group and terminal education age, October 2007
• Appendix -- Holiday Car Hire Targeting Opportunities
  • Figure 37: Car hire target groups by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, lifestage, presence of children, Mintel's Special Groups, working status, household income, tenure, region, media usage and supermarket usage, October 2007