Online traffic rises as automobile sales climb

Though most auto purchases happen in showrooms, the websites provide customers authentic information and help them check out financing options

E-commerce companies and automobile portals are seeing traction as automobile sales rise because of the festival discounts offered in the market.

Amazon has partnered luxury automobile brand BMW during this festival season for the exclusive launch of the limited edition Mini Cooper S Carbon along with official John Cooper Works accessories. Last year, it partnered General Motors for exclusive bookings of the Chevrolet Trailblazer. 

“Partnerships with brands like General Motors and BMW show how the e-commerce marketplace has grown over the years. Customers in India are increasingly considering it as a viable option to purchase cars,” said an Amazon India spokesperson.

“We witnessed an over four-fold growth in the automotive category as compared to last Diwali. Bike riding gear such as gloves and face masks have risen over 25 times while car accessories like vacuum cleaners, air fresheners, air purifiers and cleaning supplies have seen a 15 times rise during the Great Indian Festival,” the e-commerce major added.

Although the majority of automobile purchases happen in showrooms, these websites offer a platform for customers to research. Besides providing authentic information, the websites help customers to check out available financing options.

Honda said these platforms helped automobile makers to generate leads and to create awareness about the brand. 

“The festival season is expected to see an increased enthusiasm from the customers in the rural market," said Yadvinder Singh Guleria, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India. 

Online platforms were helping companies to attract more customers rather than selling vehicles, he added.

Vikrant Verma, head of the new cars division of CarDekho.com, said customers looked at pricing, discounts and the bundled elements while visiting these sites. He said more searches were originating in smaller cities. 

Droom Car, which sells used vehicles, said it had seen a spike in sales during September to Rs 100 crore. The company expects 25 per cent higher sales during October. 

“It looks like this will be the biggest month for us so far,” said Rishab Malik, co-founder of Droom Car.