FEATURE
HOW ONLINE SALES CHANNELS HAVE CAUSED MAIN DEALERSHIPS TO UP THEIR GAME
The pandemic has forced traditional showrooms to play catch-up with the disruptors, but their trump card of aftersales is giving them the last laugh.
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ne of the most significant changes that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about in the car sales industry is a shift away from traditional sales channels towards online-only purchasing. For companies such as Cazoo, Cinch and Carzam, all of which have built their businesses on high-volume, online-only sales platforms, the paradigm shift couldn’t have come at a better time, especially when dealerships were closed and the online disruptors were able to offer contact-free, hassle free delivery services. But despite this, a lot of the more traditional dealerships have maintained a steady trade, helped in no small part by loyal returning customers as well as an aftersales offering that the online sector can’t match. Matt Gill, who is the operations director for Eden Motor Group, which has 24 dealerships across the south and south-west of England, believes that this change in customer-buying behaviour has accelerated change within traditional dealerships. ‘Customers’ acceptance of online sales has increased massively in the past two years,’ he said. ‘But this was something that was already happening. If anything, the pandemic has accelerated that, and in terms of our customers, what we’re tending to see now are people who come to the dealership already with full knowledge of what they’re going to buy. ‘The role of our sales people is to give them the affirmation they need, to let them know that they’ve made the right choice. ‘We also find that, particularly with the used side of the business, some customers will come to us with quotes they’ve got from online retailers asking us if we can match them. ‘In reality, we can usually meet them at a price that’s very close, and because the transaction remains a physical one, the customer is able to see their car before it’s bought, request any minor problems to be ironed out, and know that they have somewhere to bring 10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
‘Customers’ acceptance of online sales has increased massively in the past two years. Matt Gill, operations director for Eden Motor Group
