Auto Trader’s CEO, Nathan Coe, looks back at the year and shares our plans for 2021.

As we’ve revealed in earlier blogs there are huge benefits to both buyers and retailers in digital retailing. So how can you take advantage of the benefits and become a digital retailer?

That’s what we’ll be covering in this, our final blog of the digital retailing blog series by looking at what tools are needed and how you can give buyers the confidence to buy online.

Our campaign shines an immensely positive light on the automotive industry. It celebrates the diverse nature of Britain’s drivers. And promises that whatever needs buyers might have, they can find what they’re looking for on Auto Trader.

In the first of our weekly blogs revealing the findings of our latest Market Report, Digital car buying, we answered the question “what do buyers really think about buying cars online?”

The short answer is that buyers appetite towards buying a car online is growing but then this raises questions around what this means for retailers?

What exactly do buyers think of online car sales?

It’s this question that we’ll answer in the first of our series of blogs using research and insights from our latest Market Report, Digital car buying.

In his latest update, Auto Trader’s CEO, Nathan Coe, shares the latest market overview, what we’ve seen in the last few months and the outlook for 2021.

Distance selling is rapidly coming the new normal for many retailers, so we put together a handy guide with everything you need to know about distance selling including the rules and regulations.

Whilst our latest consumer research shows that consideration for EVs is high, massive incentives are still needed to convert this interest into sales so there is still much to be done to meet this new goalpost as we explain in our full response to the announced ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Ever since the first UK wide lockdown, the automotive retail sector has pivoted to dramatically increase its capacity to sell remotely, with many retailers now offering Click & Collect and Home Delivery.

With further COVID restrictions now in place across the UK and lockdown now in force in England, we spoke to trading standards expert Peter Stonely and Nona Bowkis, legal advisor at Lawgistics to help you gain more clarity on the rules and regulations around distance selling – helping you to have more confidence in selling remotely through the pandemic and beyond.

Research reveals 71% of those looking for a Winter break would consider a motorhome or caravan, a positive sign of things to come if the restrictions in England ease at the start of December as planned.

With the government guidance earlier in the year to avoid public transport, it was expected that the bike market would see an influx of new buyers, but nobody was prepared for the demand seen so far…

What has happened since the most recent lockdown announcement on the 31st October, and the implementation of the new restrictions in England? The good news is that the audience is clearly much more resilient.

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to increase across the UK, we got our team together to take you through just what we are doing to support the automotive industry along with some top tips and insights to help retailers keep selling across the UK.

Building on changes we started in June, we’re making more significant improvements to our desktop website for buyers and retailers.

We are confident this support will enable you to make the most from a difficult November and December, so that we can all come out fast in January, starting the new year in the strongest possible position.

We recently invited Motor Finance Development Director, Fiona Mackay onto our webinar to answer your finance questions and share her findings on what she’s seen in the dealer finance world over the last few months.

At Auto Trader, we remain committed to digitising the car buying journey and helping you (the retailer) to make more profit, by removing inefficiencies in the market. That’s why we’re introducing a new proposition called Guaranteed Part-Exchange (GPX) to our marketplace, in partnership with Manheim Auction Services, part of Cox Automotive UK

Nathan shares the latest on consumer demand, how we can continue to support buyers during COVID-19 and how we’re helping retailers finish the year strong.

This week saw another set of restrictions announced by the Government in our battle, as a nation, to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s frustrating, painful almost and especially challenging when it comes to running a business. I’ve noticed this creeping into conversations I have with our customers, a sense of uncertainty or nervousness.

A budget of £10,000 and a 45-day time period to buy, advertise and sell a van…easy!