Auto Trader is launching a new Buy Online hub to highlight vehicles that can be bought online via Click & Collect or Home Delivery during the lockdown period.

Accessible via the home page, Auto Trader will be investing in a campaign to promote the hub and to drive awareness among consumers on how they can continue to buy online.

Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s commercial product director, said: “Whilst forecourts are forced to close in England and Wales, we wanted to do all we can to help our retailer partners to continue selling cars by promoting Click & Collect and Home Delivery options.

“We’re investing to make sure consumers know they can still buy from retailers during various lockdown restrictions and are doing all we can to drive them to our customers’ stock. Whilst retailers in Wales have been forced to close and those in England are about to, it is more important than ever that retailers are visible online, that stock is visible online and that where allowed, remote buying options are clearly available.” 

A survey of more than 1,000 car buyers carried out by Auto Trader revealed that, of those looking to buy in the next three months, 58% were looking to buy a car within the next two weeks.

When asked if the government’s announcement had affected their decision to buy a car, 55% said it had made no impact, and 7% said it made them want to purchase a car even quicker. Just 14% said it had made them delay their purchase.

More than 50% said they were willing to buy via Click & Collect or a Home Delivery service, with a further 22% unsure, and therefore open to influence.

Auto Trader’s Buy Online advertising campaign is expected to reach in excess of five million households through Sky TV over the next two weeks, also reaching millions of active in-market buyers through social, paid search, online video and display advertising.

The company will also be communicating the new features to its entire community across app, CRM, social and the Auto Trader platform, reaching tens of millions of consumers in the coming weeks.

Currently there are nearly 180,000 vehicles available for Home Delivery advertised on the Auto Trader marketplace.

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