Key consumer research
Influence of Online Shopping
Wednesday October 18, 2017

Car buyers spend most of their shopping time online and are using a variety of devices to shop, including desktop and laptop computers, smartphones and tablets. The prevalence of a multi-screen car-shopping experience gives automotive marketers substantial opportunities to target and effectively influence shoppers at any time or any place. Dealers should focus on unique ways to deliver a consistent overall message with content designed for each specific device being used during the car-shopping process.
74% of buyers purchased the vehicle they decided to buy prior to visiting any dealerships.1
60% of buyers’ shopping time was spent online, using an average of 5.5 sites.1
Smartphone usage during the car-shopping process increased from 46% in 2016 to 56% in 2017.1
Multi-device usage increased from 47% in 2016 to 53% in 2017 (surpassing single device as the primary shopping method).1
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Tweets by @CoxAutomotive- 2017 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study