Auto Shoppers Dumping Dealers for Online Buying

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 65% of automotive shoppers’ decision to purchase a vehicle was affected and 40% of shoppers delayed making a new vehicle purchase, according to the J.D. Power 2020 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study.

As a result, more buyers are now willing to purchase their vehicles online instead of at a dealership. Is this a long-term trend or a temporary fad? The answer has significant financial, marketing and job implications for the auto industry.

“There is no mistaking that the pandemic has put a sizeable dent in the automotive market,” said Jon Sundberg, senior manager of digital solutions at J.D. Power. “As government regulations have affected the ability for people to go into a dealership on top of people becoming wary about venturing out to a dealership to purchase a car, it is more imperative now than ever that manufacturers better equip their online retailing presence to cater to this change.”

This year’s study finds overall satisfaction of 835 (on a 1,000-point scale) in the segment for luxury manufacturer websites and 825 in the segment for mass market manufacturer websites. Mercedes-Benz ranks highest among luxury manufacturer websites with a score of 850, followed by Land Rover (847) and BMW (846). Chevrolet and Ram rank highest in a tie among mass market manufacturer websites with a score of 843, followed by Toyota (840).

The Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study – Summer, initially released in 1999, is based on responses from 13,451 vehicle shoppers (desktop and smartphone) who indicate they will be in the market for a new vehicle within the next 24 months. The study was fielded in April-May 2020.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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One Response to Auto Shoppers Dumping Dealers for Online Buying

  1. Pingback: Covid Casualties – GM US Q3 Sales Drop Year over Year | AutoInformed

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