Nissan@Home allows buyers to do their entire transaction online with participating dealers.
E-commerce has been growing steadily for more than a decade. However, 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of its explosion. While it is important to shop for essential items without having to contact anyone, buying a new car is not something you would call vital. Many dealerships made special efforts to attract new customers, including Nissan, which launched an online shopping program called Nissan@Home.
It was a pilot project that began in the summer. Nissan@Home lets dealers manage the entire process remotely via the internet. This includes scheduling and completing vehicle tests drives, as well as the purchase and delivery of the vehicle. The pilot program was attended by seven dealerships across the US. It was apparently a huge success. One Virginia Nissan dealership reported that their sales close-rate almost doubled.
Nissan has now made it possible to offer its Nissan@Home online services nationwide. Dealerships may enroll in the program. Although it is voluntary, Nissan believes that the program should be available to all customers by spring 2021.
” Nissan@Home provides customers what they want – the opportunity to purchase a vehicle at their own terms,” stated Dan Mohnke (Nissan US vice president of eCommerce). This program will allow Nissan dealers to provide better customer service, which can help them improve their business performance. This is a significant first for Nissan and a huge benefit to our customers.
There are likely to be many customers who prefer an online shopping experience that is easy and “on their terms”. However, hesitations from dealerships can cause problems. Dealerships may lose the chance to sell buyers more models or common extras like extended warranties or accessories without face-to-face interaction. Although the process is not entirely digital, it’s a significant step from traditional dealership models.
We’ve witnessed this in the past with Cadillac dealerships. However, a representative from Nissan tells Motor1.com customers that they will be able to shop for extended warranties. Although vehicle accessories are not yet included in the program, they could soon.