England may be in the midst of a second lockdown but that isn't putting off car buyers, with more than half of those planning to purchase saying they will do so in the next two weeks.
According to Auto Trader, 58 percent of those planning to buy a new car will be doing so soon, despite the lockdown – 55 percent said that the lockdown hasn't affected their plans at all, with seven percent saying it could even speed up their process. Just 14 percent said that the lockdown is putting them off making an immediate car purchase.
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Car dealerships may be closed to visiting customers as a result of the lockdown, but they can still operate home delivery and 'click and collect' services. In fact, across the UK nearly 180,000 cars are available via click and collect or home delivery.
More than half are willing to buy a car via click and collect or home delivery according to Auto Trader, marking a significant shift in car buying habits. Online purchases were far from the norm prior to 2020.
"This lockdown is different to last time and there’s a job to do to ensure all car buyers know this," said an Auto Trader spokesperson. "Whilst they can’t go and visit dealers on their forecourts during lockdown, they can still buy a car from the comfort of their own home.
"Under the new restrictions, dealerships can still operate home delivery and click & collect, so people can absolutely go ahead with buying their next car during this period.
"Our new Buy Online hub makes it even easier for them to see what vehicles are available for home delivery and click & collect."