Car Brands That Adapted to COVID-19 with a Digital Shopping Experience
August 10, 2021
Home » Customer Services » Car Brands That Adapted to COVID-19 with a Digital Shopping Experience

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, automakers and dealerships — like many businesses — have been forced to adapt to the new market and offer creative solutions to drive sales. Some offered incentives such as special sales, low financing rates, and deferred payment programs. One of their solutions in particular — taking the purchase experience digital — is likely to have long-term ramifications as more and more consumers express their preference for digital car shopping and home test-driving moving forward.

In “Car Brands That Are Making Buying a Car Worth Your While During the Pandemic,” GOBankingRates shares some of the automakers who followed in the same path as our partners at Stellantis and rolled out digital car buying experiences over the past year. These include:

Audi

Audi rolled out a program called “Audi at Your Door program,” which allows buyers to shop at home and get a car delivered by a local dealer to test drive. The experience includes a virtual appraisal on their trade-in vehicle and the ability to make their car purchase online and have it delivered to their door. Pick-up and drop-off is also available for servicing vehicles.

Buick

To make remote shopping easier, Buick has enhanced its online purchasing capabilities and offers dealer-to-door delivery.

Cadillac

Many Cadillac dealers offer Cadillac Certified Service Concierge, which involves pick-up and drop-off for vehicle servicing. The company also offers online shopping, online purchasing, and vehicle delivery.

Chevrolet

Chevy offers online purchasing with vehicle delivery.

Genesis

Genesis rolled out concierge and valet services to pick up and drop off cars for services, at-home test drives, and purchases.

Kia

Kia’s Accelerate the Good program includes online shopping and purchasing with dealer-to-door delivery.

Lexus

Lexus customers can shop and order online, and some dealers offer vehicle delivery.

Lincoln

Shoppers can take virtual tours of all Lincoln cars online and receive emails with localized offers and deals. They also have expanded pick-up and delivery services for buyers.

Subaru

Subaru has expanded pick-up and delivery services as well as mobile service offerings.

Volvo

Volvo offers vehicle delivery for purchases and new leases as well as a personal shopping assistant that assists customers through the shopping and purchase process.

___

With so many OEMs and car dealerships rolling out sophisticated digital shopping experiences so quickly, it’s a testament to the adaptability of the automotive industry as a whole. As more consumers expect to complete their entire car purchasing experience online even after the COVID-19 crisis has ended, we expect to see digital shopping and home test drive offerings continue to grow.