11:47 am, December 16, 2020
More than a quarter of in-market buyers say they would be comfortable buying their next car online, new research has found.
As part of its weekly industry study, What Car? quizzed 4,790 in-market buyers and found 28 per cent would be comfortable buying their next car entirely online.
The What Car? data backs up an exclusive piece of research carried out by Auto Trader published in November that found 41 per cent of people are entirely happy to purchase a car completely online.
What Car?’s research found 35 per cent of in-market buyers would be happy to skip a showroom viewing for a virtual tour of a vehicle they are interested in, showcasing the impact this technology has had in recent months.
Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: ‘The first lockdown saw sales across the UK come to a near complete halt.
‘While the second lockdown in England was much shorter, and dealers were better prepared for it, the growth in online retail has helped maintain sales during a period when showrooms had to stay closed.
‘While virtual showrooms will never replace the real thing, they are clearly showing their place in the industry.’
Auto Trader’s research, meanwhile, polled 1,500 car buyers – you can watch an exclusive interview with the firm in the video at the top of this story.
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