Consumers 'ready to buy cars online'
Car buyers are ready to make their next purchase online, according to research from e-commerce business autohit.com.
It says more than half of them believe they'll get the best deal through the UK network of dealers, rather than from an e-tailer or an importer.
The company's survey found that nearly half of car buyers who used the internet to compare car prices would be prepared to buy their next car over the web.
Autohit.com questioned 7,000 consumers who used Car Price Check, its online price checker.
Out of these, 44% said they would be prepared to buy their next car online and 27% would be happy to bypass the dealer and buy direct from the manufacturer.
But 54% thought their best bet was to buy through a UK dealer, even if they used the internet to choose which one.
Steve Evans, chief executive officer of autohit.com, says the research will please car manufacturers, which have been keen to get closer to consumers and effectively cut out the car dealers.
But he says franchised dealers can still win out by incorporating the internet into their marketing.
Autohit.com, which is 30% owned by Lex Service, concludes that the motor trade must react within three years, because this is the interval at which the average motorist changes his or her car.
