10:37 am, September 28, 2018
MORE THAN a third of car buyers are considering a click to buy online services when purchasing their next car, according to independent research into buying behaviour commissioned by Motors.co.uk.
The research found 37 per cent of buyers would consider making an online purchase for their next car, while 41 per cent expect most purchases to be made online in five years’ time.
Men were more inclined to buy online than women, with 41 per cent of male respondents saying the are thinking about ‘click to buy’ for their next car purchase compared to 31 per cent of women.
Those aged 25-44 showed the highest inclination to buy their next car online. In the survey 48 per cent of those aged 25 – 34 and 50 per cent aged 35 – 44 said they are thinking about purchasing this way.
The lowest responses came from the over 55s (23 per cent) and 18 – 24 age group (36 per cent).
However, the vast majority of car buyers (76 per cent) still want to view or test drive a car before purchasing.
The survey, conducted by independent research agency Insight Advantage, polled the views of 1,003 car buyers over the course of August and will be published in the inaugural Motors.co.uk Consumer Insight Panel – Autumn 2018.
Dermot Kelleher, Motors.co.uk director of marketing and business intelligence, said: ‘Our research shows car buyers are increasingly looking to make their next purchases online, it’s the next natural step after they have used the internet to do all their research.
‘However, they still want to interact with dealers with the vast majority saying they would want to view and test drive vehicles before committing to an online purchase.
‘Click to buy services are gaining momentum. Ford and Jaguar Land Rover have recently joined the market and Vertu Motors has successfully launched a service. These initiatives are clearly helping to raise awareness with a growing number of buyers expecting this to be the norm in five years’ time.’
The survey also asked buyers about the likelihood of them adopting usership and mobility services as an alternative to owning a car outright.
Ownership remained the preferred option in the UK for the foreseeable future, although 21 per cent of respondents said they no longer have a desire to own a car outright.
Over a third of all buyers expressed an interest in car subscription services with 35 per cent saying they would be interested in schemes offered by manufacturers and dealers.
Buyers also said they were interested in car clubs with over a quarter (26 per cent) saying they would join one, while 19 per cent said they would be happy to rely on car sharing, taxis and public transport rather than buying a car.
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