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The first two weeks of March saw orders for new vehicles down by 5% and 9% on used against the same period in 2020.
A study from Dealerweb shows strong conversion rates as overall enquiries fell by 14% for new cars and 7% for used.
Commenting on the data, James Hill, managing director of Dealerweb, said: “Dealers and their partners have worked hard to transform the digital retail experience over the past 12 months. It has enabled customers to buy a vehicle remotely with confidence and the minimum of fuss. Going forward, dealers will reap the benefits of providing a seamless online and dealership retail experience.”
Dealerweb has seen the number of deals completed using its e-signature technology double in the last quarter. The company reacted quickly to support dealers through lockdown with a range of new technology. Electronic signatures give buyers the flexibility to either complete the purchase at home or in the showroom when lockdown restrictions end.
The data also shows the average price of a new vehicle sold in March increased from £29,615 to £33,546 for new vehicles and from £18,172 to £20,657 for used.
Dealerweb is rolling-out a continual programme of updates to its Showroom and React platforms to ensure they remain optimised. The programme includes a series of integrations with leading automotive technology platforms that range from DMS providers like CDK to data suppliers.