Online car sales are growing, though they still make up an extremely small percentage of sales. OEMs like Tesla and Volvo have adopted online sales models and you can buy used cars from apps like Vroom or Carvana. That makes me think, is there a reason for the physical car dealership anymore? Would you skip the dealer and buy online?
I’ve purchased a couple of new Smarts from Mercedes-Benz dealerships over the years. Both of my experiences were extremely positive but even back then I had this thought in the back of my mind: There was not a single thing that the sales staff did that a well-designed app couldn’t.
One of the few things having a live staff did offer me was friendliness. They were as welcoming as if I was meeting up with a pack of old friends. Of course, they were eager to take my money and, as we’ve recently seen with stories of people being detained by dealerships, clearly that experience isn’t universal. An app cannot detain you. An app cannot damage your trade-in or commit a crime against you. Apps also won’t keep you in a boring dealership reeking of old popcorn, stale coffee and desperation for an entire day of your life.
For this Question Of The Day we’re going to do things slightly differently and leave a poll down here at the bottom.
Would you skip the dealer and buy online? Do we need dealerships anymore? Put your vote in the form and drop a comment below as to why!