Study: Consumers Want to Buy Big-Ticket Items From Their Smartphones
SAN FRANCISCO — A new study shows that one-third of consumers are open to buying cars from their mobile device. However, the same study showed that 86% of them still want to test-drive the vehicle before purchases. The study, which surveyed, 1,185 consumers, was conducted by Survata on behalf of Roadster, a three-year-old company that ... Read More »
SAN FRANCISCO — A new study shows that one-third of consumers are open to buying cars from their mobile device. However, the same study showed that 86% of them still want to test-drive the vehicle before purchases.
The study, which surveyed, 1,185 consumers, was conducted by Survata on behalf of Roadster, a three-year-old company that offers that type of service. Using their mobile phone, consumers shop for vehicles on the company’s site, while Roadster brokers the deal with participating dealers once a vehicle is selected. And according to its study, it’s not just shoppers in tech-specific cities who want that type of experience.
“It’s clear from the results of our survey that consumers are open to new ways of shopping for big ticket items,” said Andy Moss, CEO of Roadster. “With Roadster, we have incorporated some of the most cutting-edge ecommerce technologies into car shopping to make car buying as easy as buying anything else online. On Roadster.com and our partner dealer sites, consumers can now find a car they like on their mobile device, purchase it directly with our ecommerce technology, and have it delivered to their doorstep, sometimes even the same day.”
The survey found that men (41%) are more interested in buying cars from their smartphone than women (21%). It also found that consumers with household incomes of more than $150,000 are more likely to transact online.
The survey also showed consumers are willing to buy F&I products from their smartphone, with 31% respondents saying they’d be interested in selecting their “warranty,” and 27% saying they’d be interested in selecting their service plan.
Additionally, 45% of respondents said they wished the auto industry would introduce free delivery. Forty-five percent of respondents said they want free return, while 44% said they wanted fixed pricing.
And consumer who weren’t interested in purchasing big-ticket items from their smartphones said they would reconsider if they knew there were significant savings involved. According to survey results, 43 percent of consumers expected to save $2,000 or more by purchasing a car on their smartphone vs. going to the dealership. Thirty-one percent believed they would asave three to four hours by conducting the transaction online.
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →