A strong start to 2021 for vans
It’s no secret that last year we saw unprecedented levels of demand to our vans platform. We finished the year 50% ahead of 2019 in terms of audience and sales leads were up 64%. December was also the 12th consecutive month for growth in the average price of a used van on site, with average prices up 21% YOY and vans taking an average of 33 days to sell – not bad for a month of increased restrictions and a normal seasonal slow down.
And although 2021 hasn’t started the way we would have hoped, we’re still seeing high demand for vans, with January audience so far being up 39% versus the same time last year, and leads still 71% ahead.
It’s clear that as more and more retailers are activating the home service options (over 18,500 vans are currently available on Auto Trader for home delivery or click and collect) buyers have become more comfortable with the option of buying online. In a recent on-site poll, 50% of van buyers said they were willing to buy online using click and collect or home delivery.
In terms of whether the latest lockdown announcement has impacted their timeline with regards purchasing a van, 71% of van buyers on Auto Trader are looking to buy in the next three months. 60% of buyers said the latest restrictions had not impacted their intention to buy, and a further 6% said they had actually decided to purchase sooner than originally intended as a result.
Highlighting the home services available to buyers is a great start to giving buyers the confidence to purchase online, but it’s not enough to make them commit to a purchase without visiting a forecourt. Our latest hub explains in more detail how you can really bring your showroom experience online, by attracting more buyers to your stock, engaging them with your adverts and converting those clicks into customers.
This early data gives us lots of reasons to be positive about the coming weeks, with clear evidence of strong demand and buyer intent. And with buyers unlikely to completely revert back to old shopping habits even when restrictions are lifted, retailers keeping pace with the changing market are likely to have a great start to the year.