Jeep Girl Mafia's retail chain partnership opens doors for women Jeep owners

Partnering with Jeep Girl Mafia, a rapidly growing club for female Jeep owners, was "a no-brainer" for 4 Wheel Parts, a national chain of retail stores and service centers.

The partnership has brought in thousands of new customers and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the company and helped thousands of women build and upgrade their Jeeps in a female-friendly environment.

Jeep Girl Mafia is one of several all-women clubs for off-roaders across the country but is the only one officially associated with the Jeep brand, according to founder Nicole McGill. Most off-roading clubs are not officially associated with a vehicle brand. But for automakers, connecting with female consumers is essential. Women make the final decision in about 60 percent of all vehicle purchases, according to the Harvard Business Review, and show more brand loyalty, according to S&P Global Mobility.

For Jeep, such a club provides effortless marketing support for the brand — and that's helpful after Jeep's U.S. sales slipped 12.1 percent in 2022 and dropped another 11.7 percent in the first half of 2023.

McGill, a Texas social worker and mom of four, fell in love with Jeep during the COVID-19 pandemic. McGill fondly remembers taking the top off her Jeep and going for a drive to calm down during stressful times.

McGill was a member of coed Jeep clubs but didn't feel at home. "I felt like sometimes as a woman you couldn't ask a question or if you asked a question you were made to feel dumb," she said. "I just want[ed] a place where I can learn about Jeep, I can ask questions, you don't have to know everything and it's a safe place."

McGill decided to make that safe place, founding Jeep Girl Mafia in July 2021. It is the only official all-women Jeep club.

When management at a 4 Wheel Parts store that worked on McGill's Jeep learned about her plans for an all-women club, "it intrigued us," said senior store manager Ryan Booth. "Up until then, Jeep clubs had been coed. I liked the idea."

4 Wheel Parts, which has 92 stores, had recently sponsored two women participating in the Rebelle Rally — an all-women off-roading event held annually in the southwest. Partnering with McGill seemed like a natural next step.

Through social media, events and word-of-mouth, the club grew, rapidly expanding outside Texas. 4 Wheel Parts' support for the club went national, with 4 Wheel Parts stores ready to partner with Jeep Girl Mafia members wherever new chapters sprang up.

The club has now grown to more than 20,000 members and 42 chapters across the country. It has more than 8,000 followers on Facebook, 9,000 followers on Instagram and thousands of views on its TikTok videos.

Jeep Girl Mafia members get a discount at 4 Wheel Parts stores, but McGill and Booth both said it's about more than money. "It's a place that we can go, ask questions, not have to worry about being talked to as if we don't know what's going on or worry about them trying to upsell us," McGill said. "They do a really good job."

4 Wheel Parts has built two Jeeps for McGill. She said the staff are good at helping women become more confident Jeep owners by providing explanations and options alongside service.

"Any of her members can walk in here with a picture and say 'This is what I want,' " Booth said. 4 Wheel Parts' staff help Jeep owners not only understand the build they want, they also help it become a reality.
The company isn't perfect, Booth said, but has had national conversations about how to create a positive environment for female vehicle owners.

"We can walk you through from how to open the door to our store to how to leave with a fully built Jeep that's exactly what you want," Booth said. "We've got your back the entire way."

Booth said he can't put a number to exactly how many new customers the partnership has brought in, but said he estimates it's in the thousands, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue coming in with them.

Through the Rebelle Rally sponsorships, their partnership with Jeep Girl Mafia and a marketing campaign focused on women in the off-roading community, 4 Wheel Parts has made female off-roaders a focus.

"It's a no-brainer. It's a huge market," Booth said. But while these efforts are "a tremendous marketing opportunity" for the company, Booth said, he hopes they also bring opportunities for women to have positive experiences in the off-road community.

A spokesperson for Jeep did not respond to request for comment.