Marc Zaransky explains how Covid-19 will change how people buy cars forever
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every industry in the United States, the auto industry being one of them. But have you ever stopped to consider what the world post-COVID will look like? Although we’re far from the end of this pandemic, it’s possible to start considering how certain sectors and behaviors will be changed forever.
Marc Zaransky is an auto leasing consultant from Northbrook, Illinois. With a lifelong ambition and passion for being an entrepreneur, after graduating from college Zaransky went to work at his father’s automotive finance company, which was first opened in 1955. He has owned and operated his own businesses for the past 35 years and the company now has operations in all 50 states and specializes in advising and providing handicap buses for the nursing home industry and retirement communities. He predicts how COVID-19 will change the way people buy cars forever.
Transition to Online Shopping
One of the most significant ways Marc Zaransky thinks that COVID-19 will change how people buy cars is through a rise in online shopping. While the automobile industry has, up until now, been an industry less affected by the move to e-commerce, this is about to change. Although people may prefer to still purchase a car in person, this will no longer be the norm. In fact, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many car dealerships have seen their online sales rising dramatically. Along with online purchases is home deliveries.
Marc Zaransky asserts that car dealerships are going to need to get used to this new reality, as consumers continue to purchase cars online and have them delivered to their homes, just like they do other products. Not only will this change how dealerships operate, but it may signify the end of the traditional car salesperson as we know them. Many dealerships have laid off workers in the midst of COVID-19 and if the shift to online car shopping does become permanent, it’s possible these salespeople will not be hired back. The reason for this being, if online shopping does become the norm, dealerships will be looking to hire product experts who are able to communicate to customers virtually, rather than sales associates who feed off of in-person communication.
Elimination of Haggling
The automobile industry is notorious for haggling. Most people who go into a car dealership and intend to purchase a car will almost always haggle on the price. However, if the industry does switch to online shopping for good, it could mean the elimination of haggling when it comes to car shopping. Marc Zaransky claims that dealerships across the United States have already started offering no-haggle, used car pricing. In other words, dealerships are taking the pricing of the cars into their own hands, pricing them at competitive rates that won’t incite people to haggle, a practice that is hard to do virtually.
Marc Zaransky on an Easy Shopping Experience
Relating to the transition to online car purchases, Marc Zaransky believes that even after COVID-19, online shopping is likely to remain popular due to the convenience it provides customers. Shopping online is simple and much faster (and currently, far less risky) than driving into a dealership and speaking with a salesman in person. Further, even if some people are reluctant to completely close the deal online, you will still see customers going online for their information and ultimately making a decision prior to coming into a dealership. They will really only be coming into the dealership to sign the last few pieces of paperwork and pick up the car.