Key takeaways
- Digital deals close 2–3x higher when shoppers can start online and carry their progress in store.
- 97% of dealers say steps completed online are repeated in store, creating friction that slows deals down.
- Shoppers are setting the pace, with 65% wanting to complete most or all steps online.
Today’s shoppers control the pace and the path. They decide what happens online, what happens in-store, and how fast they move. The opportunity for dealers is clear: digital deals close 2–3x higher, and seven in 10 shoppers say starting a deal online saves time.
What is slowing deals down is friction. When progress made online gets repeated in the showroom, momentum is lost, trust erodes, and deals stall.
Don’t panic. This is a huge opportunity. It’s a chance to rethink your deal process from start to finish. With the right structure, technology, and workflows, you can keep deals moving at the pace shoppers expect.
To break down what’s changing and what to do next, we partnered with Cox Automotive experts Troy Watson, Director of Group Sales, and Noah Lee, Director of Product Consulting. Their perspective, paired with insights from the 2024 Cox Automotive Digitization of Automotive Retail research, informs the eBook 4 New Rules of Car Buying: A Dealer’s Playbook to Win Faster, Smarter Deals.
Below are four clear rules reshaping the car buying experience and redefining how dealers can keep deals moving from first click to final signature.
Rule 1: Let Shoppers Control How and When They Engage
Expert Insight | Troy Watson
Director of Group Sales, Cox Automotive
“When shoppers have to repeat steps in store, the deal loses momentum. The fastest-moving deals preserve everything the customer has already done and treat online progress as the starting point, not a reset.”
Buyers expect a seamless purchase journey—one that lets them explore inventory, structure payments, and start financing on their terms. But there’s a disconnect. According to Cox Automotive’s 2024 Digitization of Automotive Retail research, 97% of dealers say steps completed online are repeated in store.
That’s not just inefficient; it’s frustrating. When shoppers have to re-enter information or repeat decisions, progress stalls because the deal resets and trust in your dealership is diminished.
The buying process shouldn’t reset when a shopper walks through your doors. It should pick up exactly where they left off. When your experience is seamless – from online to in-store momentum stays intact and deals move forward instead of slowing down.
Rule 2: Match the Shopper’s Pace Without Restarting the Deal
Expert Insight | Noah Lee
Director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive
“Shoppers aren’t slowing down to match dealership processes. Dealers win when their workflow can move at the same speed the customer expects, without forcing the deal to start over.”
Shoppers are driving the shift to digital. Cox Automotive’s 2024 Digitization of Automotive Retail study found that 65% of shoppers want to complete most or all steps online, and 69% of dealers say customers are driving digital tool adoption.
The pace of a deal is no longer controlled by store hours or showroom traffic. It’s dictated by the shopper’s expectations for speed, convenience, and control. If your process can’t move as fast as your customers do, they’ll find one that can.
When you give shoppers more options to complete more steps online, and ensure those steps count—the shopper sets the pace, and the dealership stays aligned instead of playing catchup.
Rule 3: Eliminate Wasted Time That Slows Deals Down
Expert Insight | Troy Watson
Director of Group Sales, Cox Automotive
“Efficiency isn’t about rushing the customer. It’s about removing repeated steps that don’t move the deal forward and respecting the time shoppers have already invested.”
The average in-store transaction takes about 2.5 hours, while shoppers want to spend 90 minutes or less. The time between reality and shopper expectation is where satisfaction leaks away, and deals go to die.
This new rule isn’t asking too much. In fact, 64% of buyers and 53% of shoppers say there’s clear room to improve dealership efficiency. Reducing wasted time isn’t about rushing—it’s about eliminating repeated steps that don’t move the deal forward.
Rule 4: Design One Continuous Deal from Online to In Store
Expert Insight | Noah Lee
Director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive
“Continuity is what turns digital engagement into closed deals. When online and in-store work as one connected process, momentum stays intact and close rates improve.”
Shoppers don’t think in terms of channels. They think in terms of progress. Every step they complete online sets an expectation that the deal will continue, not restart, when they arrive in store.
When online and in‑store processes operate separately, continuity breaks. Deal structure changes. Information has to be re‑entered. Conversations get replayed. Even motivated buyers can lose momentum.
The most effective dealerships treat online activity as the single source of truth for the deal. Payment options, financing details, and deal structure carry through, so the in‑store experience feels like the natural next step, not a reset.
That continuity is what preserves trust, protects momentum, and helps deals reach the finish line faster.
The Dealer Playbook: Five Ways to Reduce Friction and Keep Deals Moving
Now that you know the new rules of car buying, here are five actions to deliver a more streamlined experience:
- Merchandise for Machines and People
- Make inventory easy for shoppers and AI tools to understand by standardizing data and keeping listings customer-ready.
- Default to Digital Links
- Use a digital deal link for walk-ins, calls, and online leads. Coach consistency and track adoption.
- Kill Redundancy
- Design in-store workflows to continue the deal, not restart it.
- Train on the Tools
- Practice using deal tools in live conversations, so reps are comfortable using them in person.
- Measure What Matters
- Track time to close, repeated steps, digital deal adoption, and customer satisfaction.
What This Means for You
The rules of car buying have changed, and shoppers are setting the pace. Dealers who remove friction, preserve progress, and treat online and in‑store work as one continuous deal are better positioned to close faster and meet modern expectations.
If you want a practical, data‑backed playbook for doing exactly that, download the eBook 4 New Rules of Car Buying: A Dealer’s Playbook to Win Faster, Smarter Deals. It breaks down the four rules reshaping the journey and the five actions you can take now to reduce friction and keep deals moving.
Download the eBook to see how top dealers are adapting their deal process to match today’s shopper driven journey and close more deals with less rework.
Sources
Cox Automotive Deal Central. 4 New Rules of Car Buying: A Dealer’s Playbook to Win Faster, Smarter Deals. (PDF provided)
Cox Automotive. 2024 Digitization of Automotive Retail research (as cited throughout the eBook and this article).
