Monday, December 06, 2010
Consumers unwilling to pay premium for franchised dealer
Research has revealed that consumers are unwilling to pay a premium when buying from a franchised dealer. It also suggested dealer group marketing of its brand has little influence on the car buyer.
In a survey on the Auto Trader website, 61% said they were not willing to pay more for a car from a franchised dealer than an independent. Of those who were, 70% would only pay up to £299.
A further finding in the survey, completed by 5,000 site users, was that dealer branding is not important in a purchase decision.
Revealing the findings at the AM Used Car Market Conference, Tim Peake, Auto Trader commercial director, said: “While franchised dealers can offer tens of thousands of examples of buyers who pay a significant premium over a non-franchise outlet, the lesson is that franchise dealers need to market their brand values, not just their brand.”
A total of 27% of survey respondents said they were prepared to buy a car online without seeing it. A further 33% said they were prepared to order a car online.
DATED: 06.12.2010
FEED: AM
