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Mobile Shoppers Want Pricing, Vehicle Availability, CNW Research Reports

In its automotive retail summary, CNW Research reveals the items shoppers are looking for when they pop onto a dealership’s mobile site.

by Staff
September 27, 2012
2 min to read


BANDON, Ore. — Price comparisons are what consumers are looking for the most when shopping for vehicles over the mobile device, according to a new report from CNW Research. Right behind price (73.9 percent) is “models available,” with 68.15 percent of mobile customers saying that’s what they seek out when mobile shopping.

When asked if their mobile usage takes place in a single sitting or over multiple days, the market research firm found that 88 percent of respondents tapped into their mobile device “as time permitted.” The research firm said this translates into: “Looking at a model or two over lunch or during a work break or while sitting in traffic. This is distinctly different from what CNW has seen with computer usage. Shoppers tend to do a large amount of research in a single session while mobile users spread the research out.”

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Nearly as important as the model are customers’ individual needs. Of those surveyed, almost 62 percent research potential vehicles to suit their needs or driving habits, according to the report.

 “When comparing styling and features, however, the small screen is a hindrance and mobile use diminishes only to increase again at the end of the purchase funnel when price is the key information requirement,” the report stated.

Not only did CNW take note of what mobile consumers are researching, but the company even outlined the purchase process that mobile users are following. “When first considering a new-vehicle acquisition, a consumer looks at his or her personal and family needs,” the report said.

Based upon those results, the typical shopper next looks at the market segments and models to meet those needs, CNW found. In the next phase, shoppers look at styling and personal preferences based on the models being considered.

“The net result is a shopper with four to six specific vehicles on the list before moving on to compare the features each of those models have,” CNW’s Art Spinella wrote in the report. “As with the third stage, the fourth results in fewer vehicles on the list — typically no more than three — which are then price shopped online and directly at dealerships.”

 

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