9:46 am, January 19, 2018
THE internet helped dealers to an 8.5 per cent rise in used car sales in December, according to automotive retail experts enquiryMAX.
The data showed a 14 per cent drop in new sales across a sample of 700 dealers in the UK. The number of leads from the internet lept 34 per cent against the same month in 2016. Sales leads from services also increased 16 per cent.
Commenting on the data, David Boyce, managing director of enquiryMAX, said: ‘The dealer groups ramped up their used car offerings in 2017, and 2018 looks set to be the year of the used car.
‘It is difficult to overestimate the role of digital marketing in bringing customers to the forecourt but equally cross-selling between sales and service teams is a highly efficient way to drive sales. These trends look set to continue this year.’
Finance penetration continued to rise with an 18 per cent jump in PCP sales between December 2016 and 2017. Motability sales also increased 38 per cent over the same period.
The company provides sales lead management software and retail consultancy to more than 700 dealers in the UK.
Boyce concluded: ‘Efficiency is essential in this market and dealers must manage the customer journey seamlessly to maximise sales from every customer interaction. Our experience shows that data will underpin this journey and drive more sales-focused culture.’
The data analysis, from dealerships across the UK, is used to inform retail consultancy and advice for enquiryMAX customers.
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