7:00 am, January 19, 2022
The Omicron variant is not impacting how safe customers feel in car showrooms, a new study by What Car? has found.
A survey of 1,403 in-market buyers found that a whopping 76 per cent of consumers are still looking to visit a showroom in the next three months.
Of those visiting, 78 per said the Omicron variant has not impacted their decision to go, with the rest waiting for case numbers to decline before visiting.
Of those not set to visit a showroom in the next three months, 24 per cent said they decided to postpone their visit due to the Omicron variant, while 76 per cent said they had no plans to visit and the new variant has not impacted their decision.
Buyers remain highly confident showrooms can continue to be operated in a safe way even with the new, more transmissible Covid variant.
Of all buyers surveyed, 94 per cent said they trust showrooms to be run in a Covid-safe manner.
This is nearly identical to last spring when What Car? asked the same question, with 95 per cent believing showrooms were safe places to visit.
The research also found 72 per cent of buyers would avoid visiting a showroom if it did not have adequate Covid measures in place, including social distancing guidelines, hygiene stations, and staff and customers required to wear a mask.
Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: ‘Despite a new Covid variant, trust in dealerships remains extremely high from buyers, with the majority intending to visit a showroom between now and March.
‘This shows the work the sector has done throughout the pandemic has paid off, with buyers confident that dealerships are safe places to visit.
‘It is important showrooms continue to apply Covid measures, as most buyers still want to see social distancing and hygiene measures in place when visiting.’
