The latest survey from car sales website carzone.ie has found that people who do not currently own cars are contemplating buying one so as to avoid public transport. People are worried about the thought of contracting an infection of Covid-19 from crowded buses and trains, and so are thinking about car ownership instead.
1,400 respondents
Carzone's data, drawn from 1,400 respondents, also shows that 28 per cent are thinking of changing their car as soon as possible. 35 per cent say that they will put off buying a car until later in the year, but only 11 per cent have said that they have abandoned the thought of buying a car altogether.
The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated Irish buyers' take-up of online shopping options. 53 per cent now say that they would be happy to put down a deposit on a car through an online payment system. 24 per cent say that they would be happy to pay in full for a car online. Those two figures represent an increase of five and seven per cent, respectively, since the previous Carzone survey. Meanwhile, 57 per cent say that they would be happy to buy a car, in full, online and have it delivered to their home.
Online shopping tools
Customers are also looking for more online shopping tools to help them find the car they want, and respondents have cited virtual car tours (61 per cent), live chat interactions with dealers (53 per cent), and online car finance applications (28 per cent) as being potentially helpful.
While finances are certainly going to be tight for many people, 55 per cent say that their car-buying budget hasn't been affected. 40 per cent say that it has decreased, and - somehow - five per cent say that it's actually increased a bit. As far as worries over finance are concerned, the issues most flagged up are uncertainties around car values, (46 per cent), employment security (27 per cent) and insurance costs (18 per cent).
Sanitising interiors
Cleanliness is, of course, next to godliness and it's certainly going to be an avenue for dealers to help reassure customers. 80 per cent of buyers said that they would like their new car to be disinfected before collection. 59 per cent want the exterior to be cleaned and the major contact points disinfected, while 58 per cent want the interior upholstery steam-cleaned. 75 per cent say that they're 'more likely' to buy a car if the dealer has sanitised it. 44 per cent of potential buyers are still happy to visit car dealerships in-person once they are ready to complete a purchase, and a third (35 per cent) say they will only visit a showroom once they have completed research online beforehand.
Commenting on the Car Buyer Behaviour during Covid-19 report, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager Carzone said: "The Carzone Car Buying Behaviour during Covid-19 report investigates what the 'new normal' means for the motoring industry, and highlights the behavioural impacts the pandemic has on both car buyers and sellers. The data is encouraging for car sellers, with consideration high among those who don't already own a car. Our research indicates that practices need to be evolved and we need to re-look at how we do business to better serve those looking to buy, sell and trade."