We’re coming with yet another good question for you and an answer on it. Could someday third-party shopping sites become platforms for car purchasing? Dealership groups embrace the concept of consumers buying vehicles online. Some used shopping portals from tech companies have developed their buying sites in-house.
Meanwhile, third-party stalwarts are considering a future where they could go beyond their current roles as inventory hubs and gateways to dealership sites. This evolution would allow consumers to browse listings, settle on vehicles and then close deals using buying tools on third-party sites, without necessarily visiting a dealership's site. Such a move would require third-party platforms to redo their plumbing and form new partnerships with players such as finance companies, which would be needed to handle the credit-approval process for consumers. And they would have to get dealers to agree to sell vehicles on these sites in the first place.
If a dealer has an online-buying solution on its site, third-party web-sites can be the conduit that directs people to that digital experience. Already, online used-vehicle retailers are fighting for leads with traditional dealerships.
