Lockdown is accelerating virtual car sales in Ireland, according to Kearys Motor Group.
With one-in-four customers buying cars virtually right now, Kearys Motor Group says it is already seeing the demand for their new ‘Deal & Deliver’ service rise again since the advent of Level 5 lockdown across Ireland.
Launched in May 2020 in response to the first lockdown, ‘Deal & Deliver’ allows customers to engage in a virtual appointment with a Kearys salesperson via video chat, pay for a deposit online, get finance approval, sign documents, and even arrange a contactless 7-day home test drive, all from the comfort of their own home.
“Kearys are the first motor group in Ireland with this technology”
Cars can be delivered to customers in as little as 72 hours.
Revving a new future
To date, Irish consumers have purchased over 1,000 new and used cars using ‘Deal & Deliver’ across the Kearys group since May.
Available cars range from new and used BMW X5s ( €85K+), to used 4-year old Nissan Micras (under €10K).
The five most popular cars purchased using ‘Deal & Deliver’ include; Renault Clio (2019), Nissan Micra (2019), Hyundai Tucson (2017), BMW 330E (2017) and Kia Sportage (2017).
“As more customers browse our stock and apply for finance online, we can now provide an end-to-end automotive buying experience for them,” said Brendan Keary, director, Kearys Motor Group and managing director CarStore in Dublin and Cork.
“Kearys are the first motor group in Ireland with this technology, and with more contactless transactions required across all industries, we are delighted to have introduced our ‘Deal & Deliver’ service.”
Kearys anticipates the country’s new restrictions will spark virtual car sales interest, as it did once before. After seven days of test driving, the customer does not want to purchase the car for any reason, a Kearys representative will come and take the car back, hassle-free.
Interestingly, Kearys had in fact begun their virtual car sales journey prior to March. Though due to the mandatory closure of their showroom due to Covid-19, the process was accelerated.
By John Kennedy (john.kennedy3@boi.com)
Published: 23 October, 2020
