Car buying is changing, driven by the rapid development of digital platforms. While a visit to the dealership remains the norm for a majority of buyers, new hybrid paths are emerging that are more flexible, faster, and sometimes entirely online.
Online car buying on the rise
In 2020, just 5% of new car purchases in Europe were made online. By 2023, this figure had risen to 10%, and projections indicate that it could climb to 25% by 2025. Digital sales are making great strides, particularly in the new and late-model used car segments.
Digital tools now make it possible to compare offers, simulate financing, sign remotely and arrange home delivery. Simplicity, speed and transparency are winning over an ever-growing audience. You can, for example, buy a Peugeot 208 online in just a few clicks, with immediate visibility of prices, stocks and available services.
Some platforms even integrate remote inspections, via detailed photos or videos. Others offer free returns within 14 days. These features reassure hesitant buyers and broaden the possibilities, without having to leave home.
Concessioning remains a strong reflex
Despite these developments, nearly 70% of European buyers continue to finalize their purchase at a dealership, according to ACEA figures. The test drive, the human contact and the opportunity to ask questions live are still decisive criteria.
Even when a purchase or reservation is made online, many customers prefer to validate their choice in-store. This preference can be seen above all in the generalist and family segments, where the purchase is experienced as a binding act, often thought through over several weeks.
Digital sales mainly concern stock models, already configured. Full customization, although possible on certain platforms, is still marginal. The need for support, especially when it comes to financing or repossessing an old vehicle, continues to encourage physical visits.
A distribution model in full transformation
To adapt, manufacturers are rethinking their networks. The trend is for dealers to become agents, paid on commission for services such as maintenance or delivery. This reduces distribution costs for the brands and enables them to centralize pricing and stock management.
This organization enables us to maintain a local presence, while using digital tools to attract customers upstream. Some retailers now offer fully digital customer paths, while others rely on a hybrid approach, combining website and showroom.
Legal and logistical challenges remain sensitive
Switching to an agent model means rewriting commercial contracts, reorganizing IT tools, and ensuring a direct link between the manufacturer and the end-buyer. It also means clarifying the question of warranties, the right of withdrawal and taxes, which vary from country to country.
Distributors have to absorb these changes while continuing to invest in reception, after-sales service and team training. Customers, for their part, expect a level of service equivalent to that of a physical dealership, even if they no longer travel.
An à la carte shopping experience
The future of car buying will be neither 100% digital nor exclusively point-of-sale. The trend is towards a hybrid model, in which the buyer modulates his path according to his needs: configuration and financing online, test drive and signature on site, or vice versa.
This format is gradually gaining ground, particularly among young drivers and urban buyers, who are more comfortable with digital services. But it also appeals to families and professionals, seduced by the flexibility of a route accessible 24 hours a day.
Concessions are not doomed, but they are no longer the only option. It is becoming just one stage in a process in which digital technology is taking on an increasingly natural role.
