Study: Consumers Want to Buy Big-Ticket Items From Their Smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO — A new study shows that one-third of consumers are open to buying cars from their mobile device. However, the same study showed that 86% of them still want to test-drive the vehicle before purchases.

The study, which surveyed, 1,185 consumers, was conducted by Survata on behalf of Roadster, a three-year-old company that offers that type of service. Using their mobile phone, consumers shop for vehicles on the company's site, while Roadster brokers the deal with participating dealers once a vehicle is selected. And according to its study, it’s not just shoppers in tech-specific cities who want that type of experience.

“It’s clear from the results of our survey that consumers are open to new ways of shopping for big ticket items,” said Andy Moss, CEO of Roadster. “With Roadster, we have incorporated some of the most cutting-edge ecommerce technologies into car shopping to make car buying as easy as buying anything else online. On Roadster.com and our partner dealer sites, consumers can now find a car they like on their mobile device, purchase it directly with our ecommerce technology, and have it delivered to their doorstep, sometimes even the same day.”

The survey found that men (41%) are more interested in buying cars from their smartphone than women (21%). It also found that consumers with household incomes of more than $150,000 are more likely to transact online.

The survey also showed consumers are willing to buy F&I products from their smartphone, with 31% respondents saying they’d be interested in selecting their “warranty," and 27% saying they’d be interested in selecting their service plan.

Additionally, 45% of respondents said they wished the auto industry would introduce free delivery. Forty-five percent of respondents said they want free return, while 44% said they wanted fixed pricing.

And consumer who weren't interested in purchasing big-ticket items from their smartphones said they would reconsider if they knew there were significant savings involved. According to survey results, 43 percent of consumers expected to save $2,000 or more by purchasing a car on their smartphone vs. going to the dealership. Thirty-one percent believed they would asave three to four hours by conducting the transaction online.