KEYNOTE INTERVIEW Physical car dealerships remain crucial in an online used car buying journey, says Google

Despite the rise of online car sales, physical car dealerships are still crucial to the buying journey, says Google

The search giant will reveal its latest research into how important a blended approach to sales is at our conference.

Ben Gault, automotive industry manager for Google UK, will deliver the key address that will look at the growing importance of omnichannel retailing for car dealers.

In a video interview, which you can watch here, Gault said: ‘We’re going to be sharing our latest release of Gearshift, which is an in-depth consumer panel survey on the modern journey of how used car buyers are currently buying their cars.

Q&A AT A GLANCE

What is it?

It’s the inaugural conference building on our successful Car Dealer Live video series, and will see experts give their thoughts on what the future holds for the motor industry.

Where is it?

The conference is being held at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire –Banbury Road, CV35 0BJ to be precise. If you use what3words, then ///smiled. harmonica.ivory will deliver you to its entrance.

What are the timings?

It all starts at 9.30am and finishes at 3.30pm. The full timetable is on page 8.

Are there refreshments?

You betcha! Coffee and pastries will be available to welcome attendees at 9.30am, and there’ll be a 45-minute break for a buffet lunch at 12.45pm – please note the advisory on page 8, though.

‘We’ll be covering facts such as how onlineheavy the used car journey is – 88 per cent of consumers will use an online source to help research their journey.

‘Within that process, we know that they’re making those decisions in under a month, and despite the rise of e-commerce, we still know that buyers are very rooted in buying from physical dealerships.’ He said that some of the ‘biggest conversations’ the firm is having with car dealers is around how they set their businesses up for ‘bricks-and-clicks’ car sales. Gault added: ‘Some of the trickiest conversations we’re having with our businesses and clients is around the role of omnichannel.’

With event partner

Where can I park?

There’ll be plenty of parking spaces on site. Just follow the bespoke signs that we’ve prepared for delegates and speakers.

Can I visit the museum too?

Yes, admission to the museum is included in the price of your conference ticket.

Where can I get a ticket?

They are available via this link and cost £149 for trading car dealers, £299 for non-car dealers and £199 for dealers and non-dealers to watch the event live online (no in-person access). Prices are ex-VAT.