Dealers know that consumers use mobile devices to research a vehicle, but that number has now jumped to more than half of them, said J.D. Power.
In its 2015 New Autoshopper Study in the U.S., J.D. Power learned the use of tablets for automotive shopping since 2012 has increased by 83 per cent and by 70 per cent on smartphone devices.
The breakdown is about 34 per cent of new-vehicle shoppers that use a smartphone for their vehicle research, and 33 per cent that use a tablet.
“Outside of the home, the location where new-vehicle shoppers most frequently use their smartphone to conduct auto research prior to purchase is at a dealership,” said Arianne Walker, senior director, automotive media & marketing at J.D. Power, in a written release.
The U.S. study also found nearly one fourth of new-vehicle shoppers first contact a dealership digitally by email, the dealer website, request an online quote, text, online forum or on Facebook.
Almost half of new-vehicle shoppers also know the specific make or model they want to purchase, which has increased dramatically since 2013 when just 43 per cent bought the exact make or model in mind.
Click here to learn more about the U.S. 2015 New Autoshopper Study.
