Perhaps boosted by the success of selling the first 1,927 of its new Volvo XC90 online, Volvo’s sales chief says the company will offer all of its cars for sale online – and back away from most auto shows.
In an interview with Reuters, Alan Visser said Volvo plans to boost online marketing and offer all of its car lines in all markets for sale online, as part of the company’s new global marketing strategy.
Visser says online sales aren’t meant to replace dealers, though. Cars ordered online will still have to be delivered at dealerships, he said. The goal, however, is likely to make buying a Volvo easier for customers who live far away from a Volvo dealer, and also allow the company’s roughly 2,000 global dealers to stock fewer vehicles.
The shift towards the Internet comes as Volvo plans to scale back on its physical appearances at auto shows. According to Reuters, the company plans to appear at only one motor show per year in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as a “global event” of its own.
Without the budget of its German rivals and its entire lineup being revamped over several years beginning in 2015, Volvo is clearly trying to make the most of its more limited means while trying to capture a large audience. But it may run into problems in trying to downsize its physical presence.
As some startup online retailers are finding, customers still want to go in and try products first-hand before actually handing over money. Even Tesla still has showrooms in malls to get people acquainted with their vehicles before ordering online. Volvo may realize that most car buyers aren’t quite ready to go all online – yet.
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