The percentage of new-vehicle buyers using the Internet to help them through
the shopping process has grown from 25 percent to 40 percent in just one
year, according to a new report.
The J.D. Power and Associates 1999 New Autoshopper.com Study scheduled for
release in August says the growth is fueled by increased availability of the
Internet and a larger percentage of car shoppers with online access.
“Although we continue to be amazed by the growth of automotive-related
Internet usage, the real key is that people are using the Internet to go
deeper into the shopping process than ever before,” said Chris Denove,
consulting operations director for J.D. Power and Associates. “For example,
the number of people purchasing a vehicle through an online buying service
has more than doubled in the past 12 months.”
The study also shows that consumers are placing an increased reliance on
information found online to help them decide which vehicle to purchase.
Internet usage is not confined to new-vehicle shoppers; 26 percent of
consumers buying a pre-owned 1994 to 1999 model-year vehicle are using the
Internet to help them with
their purchase, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 1999 Used
Autoshopper.com Study scheduled for release later this month.
“The used-vehicle buyer is more concerned with going online to locate
specific vehicles for sale, which makes the Internet more of a substitute for
traditional classified advertising,” Denove said.
The 1999 New Autoshopper.com study is based on more than 3,000 telephone
interviews with consumers regarding their Internet use when shopping for a
new vehicle. The Used Autoshopper.com Study is based on nearly 10,000 mail
survey respondents who just purchased a used vehicle.
