This past holiday season, hundreds of dealers used e-commerce to sell more cars and reach year-end goals, even when their showrooms were closed. Leading up to the holiday season, I met with Drive Motors CEO Aaron Krane where we talked about buying trends during the holiday season. 

As expected, dealers using e-commerce saw an even smaller dip in online orders on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2017, than in 2016. Many buyers took advantage of great deals on Christmas Eve, with orders doubling those placed in 2016.

Surprisingly, car orders on Christmas Day itself nearly tripled year over year, even though most showrooms are closed. The final 7 days of the year were a critical time for dealers, as well. In fact, several dealers raced all the way to the finish line, making over 75% of their December online sales in the final 7 days of 2017. Not only are people shopping more during the holidays, they’re also buying. 

What can dealers take away from the 2017 holiday season? As automotive e-commerce evolves, customers are becoming more aware that they can order their next car online from their local dealerships. They're excited to buy online because it's easy and convenient. 

As a result of these buyer preferences, dealers that offer e-commerce are earning more business online. Even when their showrooms are closed, they're selling cars 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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