Study: Online auto marketplaces like Zigwheels.ph can help brands beat Coronavirus (Covid-19)

MANILA: With one dealership after another in Luzon closing to comply with the enhanced community quarantine protocols, car-buying and the auto business are expected to take a big hit.

No one going out plus no dealerships open equals no sales, right?

Actually, a recent study made in the United Kingdom says that it doesn’t have to be so.

Data shows that more and more people are buying cars online. So much so that it has website traffic on online auto marketplaces are higher this year compared to 2019.

Granted that some of the sites offer advanced services like “contactless handover,” it should be long before sites like Zigwheels.ph provide the same level of assistance, or better.

A separate piece of research shows that more than half of auto buyers would love to purchase a vehicle from the comfort of their home and that almost half are okay with getting a new car without even test-driving it.

"While consumers, car makers and dealers all face the biggest challenge of our lifetimes, it is fortunate that they are served by a rapidly expanding and innovative online car marketplace sector that has already been proven to work. The ability to buy cars from the comfort of your home and have them delivered has never been as valuable as it is today. We have already arranged contactless handovers to vulnerable customers who don’t want to risk meeting a delivery driver, in response to enquiries from people with pre-existing medical conditions. The flexibility of online car sales platforms, along with intelligent delivery solutions, will certainly help many businesses and their customers through the current crisis,” said Andy Oldham, chief executive of BuyaCar.co.uk.