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The UK’s car industry is in a good place; over 2.6 million new cars were registered in 2015, the highest number on record and a 6.3% increase from 2014. 

 But with the car buying process relatively unchanged for decades – while the broader retail world has been transformed – could the auto sector be in danger of being left behind?

Simon Dixon certainly thinks so, and, as founder of all-digital dealership Rockar, he’s on a mission to bring the motor industry up to speed. With the company’s research revealing that 45% of drivers would be more likely to replace their car if purchasing one was more like shopping for food or clothes, or being in a mall or a supermarket, Rockar has taken note – and it’s challenging the traditional car buying process in every way possible. 

Founded in response to Dixon’s frustration with the usual car buying experience, Rockar partnered with Hyundai to open its first UK store in November 2014. But rather than choose an industrial estate or a large plot out-of-town, Rockar wanted to make it easy for customers to view cars, leading the brand to open a store in Bluewater, Britain’s fourth-largest shopping mall.

But what’s inside the store is just as significant as its convenient location, giving people a car buying experience that will match their modern retail expectations. There are few cars, but shoppers can browse, buy or book a test drive through in-store tablets, with digital content explaining the journey ahead. “Digital isn’t just a fad or a trend,” says Dixon. “It is an essential requirement for any dealership that wants to remain relevant to customers.” 

The showroom door is not in the physical building. It is online and 90% of people are walking out of the digital showroom

The whole Rockar car purchase takes place online too, either in-store on tablets, at home, or on mobile – staple purchasing methods in most retail sectors, but not yet the auto industry. "The showroom door is not in the physical building. It is online and 90% of people are walking out of the digital showroom," says Steve Young, managing director of ICDP, an auto industry research firm, highlighting how Rockar is bring the car dealership up to date. 

The same goes for the store’s staff, who are termed ‘Rockar Angels’. Comprising mostly of women – in an attempt to appeal to a different demographic – they don’t work on commission and are hired for their personality rather than motoring background, though they’re fully trained in the Hyundai product range.

These factors have all combined to attract a new kind of consumer to Rockar; the store’s average buyer is 37 years old – compared to 57 for other Hyundai dealerships – with 54% of visitors being female. 

 With the launch of a second store in Westfield in December 2015, should Rockar’s revolution be the standard for all dealerships? 

Rockar is showing the auto industry how to drive sales digitally

While 2015 was a bumper year for car sales, the outlook isn’t so rosy for dealerships. The average number of showroom visits per purchase fell from seven to 1.5 between 2004 and 2014, with consumers increasingly researching vehicles online. 

 “Digital showrooms and online retailing is the big shift that is coming to the car industry, and it is coming fast,” says Sarwant Singh, a partner at consultancy Frost & Sullivan. “This is going to completely change the way people choose and buy their cars.” 

The same goes in the US, where a 2014 study found that 68% of consumers visited two dealerships or fewer before buying, while 40% visited just one. “This avoidance of physical dealerships is in stark contrast with how much online vehicle research is happening,” says the study. “Four in five people now use the Internet for car buying, visiting ten auto websites in the process.” 

With this in mind, it’s becoming increasingly important for those in the car industry to evolve their digital presence, something that Rockar is doing with its in-store tablets and well developed digital content. And Rockar isn’t alone; the 

 showroom in Mayfair uses state-of-the-art technology like video walls and multi-touch tables to give consumers an immersive car buying experience, with the company reporting a 60% increase in sales in its first ten months of operation. 

Why, when buying a car could be as delightful as a trip to Bloomingdale's, does everybody hate the dealership experience, with women feeling particularly underserved and dissatisfied?

The challenge that Rockar has undertaken isn’t just about getting more people into showrooms, it’s also about attracting a different demographic. And for Rockar, women are a key target; 50% of women globally are dissatisfied with their car and 74% feel misunderstood by automakers. 

 “There is a myth in the automotive industry that to target female car buyers you need to ‘pink it and shrink it,’" says Dixon. “Actually, just 51% of Rockar’s female buyers purchase smaller vehicles, which is exactly the same as male buyers." 

Rockar’s convenient location is key to attracting this demographic. And according to Belinda Parmar, chief executive of creative agency Lady Geek, it’s high time. “While upmarket retailers dream up ever more seductive methods to part us from our cash, car retail is stuck in the gutter,” she writes. “Why, when buying a car could be as delightful as a trip to Bloomingdale's or Burberry, does everybody hate the dealership experience, with women feeling particularly underserved and dissatisfied?” 

Other car dealerships are starting to take note, too. The Landmark Car Company in London, for instance, has transformed its commercial space into a welcoming area complete with a library, small cinema and art gallery, while Nissan’s new showroom concept features an area where customers can enjoy a freshly brewed coffee. 

 Throw Rockar’s Angels into the mix, and the dealership is well and truly being brought into the 21st century.

74% of female drivers feel misunderstood by automakers

Rockar is shaking up and democratising an industry that for so long has held dear an entrenched, traditional way of selling. By focusing on convenience – putting cars in the same space as retailers sell clothes – it can attract a new consumer who would have little interest in visiting clinical, out-of-town car dealerships. And it’s evidenced by the brand’s typical customer – younger and more likely to be female than the buyers that traditional dealerships attract.

In opening up the auto industry, similarities can be drawn with 

, a Texas-based homeware store hailed as the ‘Whole Foods of DIY’. Embracing sustainability and design, it’s revolutionised home improvement retail, with digital content keeping consumers informed, while friendly staff – much like 

 – provide guidance. Both examples show that no industry is off-limits for any demographic, and that no matter what consumers are buying – be it a car or a tin of paint – the experience doesn’t have to be boring.

Buying cars directly from manufacturers via the web is only going to gather momentum. The next place you buy a car may soon be Google

That Rockar’s purchasing process takes place solely online also highlights how important a digital focus is, with few industries untouched by what is now seen by consumers as a necessary requirement. “Buying cars directly from manufacturers via the web is only going to gather momentum,” says Damian Long, director at GfK Automotive. “The next place you buy a car may soon be Google.” 

And manufacturers are finally taking the hint; Audi’s digital store has been mirrored by the likes of Nissan and Jaguar, while Ford, Peugeot and Fiat, among others, have launched websites for customers to buy directly cars from them. But Rockar offers more, adding convenience and an in-store experience that sets it apart from any other dealership. “When looking at the success of Rockar so far, it is clear that challenging the historical approach to car buying is the way forward,” says Dixon. “The 21st century needs a car buying process that matches what consumers want and Rockar provides it.” 

is a behavioural analyst and music lover. Outside of work he occupies himself with coming-of-age movies and American fiction.

 of drivers would be more likely to replace their car if buying one was more like shopping for food or clothes

Rockar’s customers have an average age of 

Rockar was founded in response to a frustration with the current car buying experience

It partnered with Hyundai to launch a store in Bluewater, giving customers a convenient place to view cars

Its location can attract people who might not consider visiting clinical, out-of-town dealerships

United Kingdom

Europe

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Automotive

‘Best-selling cars 2015: record year for UK car sales’, Auto Express

‘Accolade seals a successful six months for Rockar Hyundai’, Car Dealer

‘Hyundai retailer Rockar says UK experiment a success, plans more stores’, Reuters

‘Rockar Hyundai, Bluewater, sees 100,000th visitor after opening six months ago’, Kent Online

'Second Rockar Hyundai digital car store opens in London', Autocar

‘Oi car salesmen: it’s time to talk to women, not just their ‘husbands’, The Telegraph

‘Online showrooms and digital dealerships revolutionise car buying’, The Financial Times

‘Almost half visit only one dealer before buying’, Automotive Ventures

‘Are women looked after by car manufacturers?’, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts

‘Why car makers need to pay more attention to women’, The Telegraph

‘West Way dealership receives stunning brand redesign’, Nissan Insider

While tech has revolutionised purchasing in many retail sectors, the car buying process remains entrenched in the past. Can all-digital dealership Rockar – which offers a convenience normally associated with shopping for clothes or food – bring the auto industry up to speed?

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