- February 2025
With consumers expecting smoother, more accessible online experiences, how are UK automotive retailers rising to the challenge?
This study benchmarks the digital performance of leading UK automotive retailers across key customer journey phases—Pre-Sales, Sales, and Handover—highlighting both industry leaders and areas ripe for growth. With actionable insights and real-world examples, this report offers a clear view of the digital strategies shaping the future of automotive retail.
Key Insights
- Vertu Motors leads in online sales, excelling in the handover phase
- The handover phase emerged as the strongest area for retailers
- The pre-sales phase showed the lowest performance across retailers
- Mass-market brands outperformed luxury brands in digital offerings
- OEMs significantly outperformed retailers in the pre-sales phase
Study Results
The study reveals a significant disparity in digital maturity among UK automotive retailers, with strengths in delivery and handover phases but notable gaps in pre-sales capabilities and online financing, leaving room for innovation to meet rising customer expectations.
The handover phase was the strongest area for most retailers, with 82% offering customisable delivery time slots. Vertu Motors excelled here, providing flexible delivery options that improve customer convenience. The sales phase showed highly variable performance. Leaders like Lookers stood out by enabling seamless online purchasing and offering clear cancellation and return policies. However, others required direct customer contact for transactions, limiting convenience. Pre-sales was the weakest phase overall, with poor adoption of digital tools, e.g. only 27% of retailers offered online test-drive booking.
The total scores of retailers varied significantly, with an average score of 22.73 out of 51. Vertu Motors led with 32 points, while the lowest performer scored less than half of that, showing a wide gap in digital maturity across the industry.
Overall scores of automotive retailers assessed
Mass-market retailers outperformed their luxury counterparts in digital sales maturity by leveraging tools like online stock purchasing and financing calculators. However, nearly 45% of retailers lacked capabilities to complete financing or leasing processes online, leaving room for improvement in providing seamless end-to-end sales journeys.
Comparing against our New Car Online Sales Study, OEMs consistently outperformed retailers in the pre-sales phase due to better digital tools and product integration. However, retailers were stronger in the handover phase, highlighting their expertise in personalised delivery and customer interactions.
