9:30 am, November 20, 2018
AUTO TRADER has launched a new service enabling retailers to advertise their entire stock of brand new unregistered cars on its marketplace for free until early 2019.
The car classifieds website estimates that 100,000 new unregistered cars are not being actively advertised online and therefore they are essentially hidden from potential buyers.
According to Auto Trader data, two thirds of consumers are open to a new car when starting their buying journey, but the majority don’t know what new cars are available, how much they cost or whether they’re in budget, and how soon they’ll be available.
To avoid a ‘race-to-the bottom’, search results display cars within a default 50-mile radius and ranks by distance, to help connect buyers with a car that’s available right now in their local area.
By focusing on local consumers, this helps retailers retain more value through aftersales and repeat sales.
Over 1,000 franchise retailers across the UK are already advertising more than 16,000 brand-new cars and achieving great results, across all major brands, in volume, premium and even super luxury.
A Volvo retailer advertised 14 brand-new cars and sold two of them within a week, while an Audi retailer sold three new cars before they’d even had the chance to upload imagery.
Auto Trader director Ian Plummer said: ‘Whether it’s the result of new WLTP regulations, fuel type confusion, Brexit anxieties or simply not enough in-store visitors, the increased complexities of the new car market has made hitting sales targets more challenging than ever.
‘As a result, many industry experts estimate that somewhere around a quarter of all new cars today are tactically registered in one way or another. We want to offer a genuine alternative to that sort of unsustainable business, by creating a one-stop-shop experience for consumers which enables our retailers to promote their entire stock of new and used cars to millions of engaged buyers.’
He added: ‘Consumers already trust Auto Trader for new cars. And we recognise that we still have a long way to go before we can claim to have given them what they really want; that is, a fundamentally easier, quicker and more transparent new car buying experience than they can find anywhere today.
‘But the new functionality we’re bringing to market is a reflection of our commitment to make Auto Trader the UK’s number one consumer destination for both new and used cars, and to do so in a way which will provide true value to both our retailer and brand partners alike.
‘For example, our rapidly expanding team, led by former senior executives from a range of manufacturers, has won multiple awards for its outstanding insights and data which have already proven invaluable in helping brands shape their own new car marketing strategies.’
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