LATEST NEWS Study Details Online Car Shopper’s Needs & Wants NEW YORK — A new global survey from Accenture of 10,000 consumers found that 80 percent of drivers in the market for a new vehicle are using some form of digi-tal technology to research before purchasing, while almost two-thirds (62 percent) are be-ginning the car-buying process online before entering a store. Another sign the car purchase process is headed for the Web? e survey also showed that 75 percent of drivers polled would consid-er working through the entire car-buying pro-cess online. “ e impact of the digital customer is be-coming pervasive, disrupting the tradition-al car-buying experience and the competitive landscape,” said Christina Raab, global man-aging director for digital consumer services in Accenture’s Automotive practice. “ is is clearly supported by the fact that many would consider conducting the entire car-buying process online. “In order to grow business in this envi-ronment, OEMs and dealers will need to pur-sue an aggressive digital strategy online, in the showroom and in a ersales, while creating a seamless, integrated experience to accommo-date all customer needs.” Taking a look at the U.S. survey results, in particular, which accounted for 10 percent of the drivers surveyed, Auto Remarketing has dissected the results to pick out some of the most compelling material — such as the most in uential factors on shoppers’ decisions when buying a car. More and more, these factors are increasingly found on the Web. For ex-ample, 30 percent of respon-dents cited social media as the most in uential factor, such as Facebook and Twit-ter/customer feedback. of respondents For dealer websites, that cited social number jumps to 32 per-cent. Manufacturer websites media as the most in uential also proved important, with 34 percent of U.S. respon-factor while dents citing this medium as car buying the most in uential factor in SOURCE: Accenture their buying decision. It is apparent that more and more consum-ers are turning to the Web for their car-buying needs, but the next question is: how do we make the process easier for them online? When asked what would make the pro-Better Vehicles. Better Deals. BETTER GET TO KNOW IAA. IAA is more than just salvage. Every day, we auction high-quality vehicles from rental fi rms, banks and other sellers at more than 165 locations in North America. It’s your chance to buy low, add inventory and sell at a profi t. We’ll even help get you started with a free six-month buyer’s pass.* Visit IAAI.com, and see why our vehicles are good for business. * To register please visit an IAA location, go online to www.IAAI.com and use Promo Code: ARMAG2015 or call Buyer Services at (877) 937-4243. The registration will allow you full access to buy where you meet state licensing requirements for six months. This offer is for new, fi rst-time buyers at IAA only. Must mention the promo code at the time of registration; provide a government issued I.D., and business license if applicable. A $200 registration fee is required after six months to extend your buying privileges. The six month period starts from the day your account is activated. Expires: 12/31/2015. 30% IAAI.com © 2015 Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. All rights reserved. cess of researching for a new car via online channels easier, 60 per-cent of U.S. respon-dents said having in-formation tailored to consumers who are their needs would be beginning the most helpful. And with car-buying process the ability to target speci c demograph-online before ics through advertis-entering a store ing and email market-SOURCE: Accenture ing, this is becoming eas-ier and easier to deliver. The most important factor, however, was comparison shopping sites — 69 percent of respondents said these tools would make car shopping online easier. Many third-par-ty sites can serve this purpose, so perhaps making sure to have inventory on multiple third-party listing sites would prove helpful to dealers. Another 59 percent of respondents said virtual demos of new-car models prove help-ful, while 36 percent call for augmented reality to instantly access information about the car. The last two factors mentioned focus on interaction on manufacturer and deal-er websites. According to the survey, 32 per-cent of respondents said they wanted a vir-tual assistant available to give expert advice, while another 27 percent prefer online chat with dealers. Research for the study was conducted by Coleman Parkes on behalf of Accenture, and owners were surveyed in eight countries: Bra-zil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ja-pan and the United States. 62% 8 Auto Remarketing www.AutoRemarketing.com May 15–31, 2015