Most buyers still favour dealerships over online sales

Buyers still want to see cars in the metal and purchase them at dealerships, rather than conduct part or all of the process online, the latest Cazoo Consumer Insight Panel in the UK suggests.

It polled the views of 2,008 car buying decision makers in the UK, and found nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) want to see, test drive and buy at a dealership.

We suspect the demand for viewing and buying cars in person is largely the same for Irish buyers.

Cazoo said buyers wanting to view cars and test drive them at dealerships, then purchase online has increased marginally from 19 per cent in 2022 to 21 per cent.

While those who only want to view and buy online has dropped from 11 per cent to eight per cent over the same period.

Buyers also expressed a preference for talking to dealer staff rather than AI phone assistants.

Over half (53 per cent) said they would prefer to speak to a real person, although this dropped to 42 per cent for those who had already interacted with an AI phone assistant.

“While marketplaces and other digital touchpoints play pivotal roles for buyers in the search and discovery phases, most still want the certainty that goes with personal interactions in showrooms when it comes to buying,” said Lucy Tugby, chief marketing officer of Cazoo.