Partners play bigger part in car purchasing process than price
When considering which car to buy, consumers in the UK are more influenced by their spouses than by price, according to a new report by intelligence firm Rocket Fuel.
The firm's latest research, which included a survey of 329 British car buyers, showed that for 25% of respondents, the input of a spouse or partner is the greatest influence in the purchasing decision.
By comparison, just 22% cited price and 15% said previous make or model ownership was the biggest influence on their purchase.
Women are 25% more likely to take their partner's views into consideration, while men are 50% more likely to be influenced by the price of the vehicle.
However, the older generation – aged 55+ – generally doesn't care what their partner thinks about their car purchase (84% stated this was the case). Brits aged between 35 and 54 are more than twice as likely to be influenced by their partner as the over-55s.
The biggest turnoff appears to be car dealer salesmen: only 2% named them as the greatest influence on their purchase decision.
Car buyers' online interactions also formed part of the research. Although completing a car purchase online is not yet commonplace, more than three quarters (76%) of Brits take at least one digital action during their purchase journey – such as booking a test drive, ordering a brochure or configuring a car.Perhaps unsurprisingly, millennials are more likely to research their new car online before purchasing it than any other generation (84% against an average of 74%).
Age gap differences also exist in car buyers' loyalty to brands. Older Brits are more likely to stick with their existing car brand: almost a third (29%) of over-55s said that the make or model previously owned was the biggest single influence in their car purchase decision. This was twice as many as the younger generations.
