The COVID-19 pandemic that gripped humanity by the scruff of its neck and forced us to live ever conscious of the virus also disrupted industries – forcing these to reexamine and even evolve practices that had once seemed almost intrinsic to them.
Now to be accurate, the automotive industry has typically been on the cusp of change and innovation. Of course, evolution is not anathema to a sector that prides itself with being able to adroitly adjust to what the customers and market conditions demand.
While brick-and-mortar showrooms have always, and will always, have their distinct advantages and uses, the auto industry had actually already started a pivot toward digital way before COVID-19 entered the picture.
What initially was an online repository for specific car companies steadily grew in girth and functionality. Websites and social media platforms have evolved into a two-way conduit to link brand and customer, sometimes in near real-time. Brand-specific online presence is undoubtedly light years away from how it appeared in the past. The experience promised by these new online venues and tools have certainly delivered more value to customers and browsers alike.
But beyond dedicated OEM websites, more general automotive portals have also evolved in parallel. The benefit in these “agnostic” sites hinges on the wealth of choices. Classifieds marketplace Carousell exemplifies this, well, “new normal” in the online experience. With hundreds of thousands of listings across its range of brands and product types, the former olx.com also keenly caters to browsers of both brand-new and second-hand vehicles.
At any given time, Carousell Autos carries an excess of 20,000 listings for any need or budget appetite. This astounding number means that this is the only portal car buyers will ever need to visit – even if they are looking at multiple brands. A search function also allows the browser to better tailor and shortlist the options by pricing, transmission type, and model year (for used cars); pricing, fuel type, body type, and transmission (for brand new). Even more detailed filtering can be done by fuel type, mileage, and license plate number (for number coding purposes). Car accessories, motorcycles, special vehicles, and even moto accessories are available as well.
Another obvious benefit specific to the digital space is the safety and convenience of not having to go from physical showroom to showroom to do browsing. Special offers and discounts are also readily visible via Carousell from dealership to dealership.
Users also get access to important and well-written how-to articles beneficial for both car owners and future owners via a dedicated car blog. Carousell Autos has easy-to-use tools to guide first-time vehicle buyers along as they search for their ideal mobility. An online quiz walks the searcher through what he or she is looking for, and recommends vehicles based on responses as well as budget appetite.
Carousell is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing marketplaces in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It is backed by Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Naspers, 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, DBS, and EDBI. Carousell features a diverse range of products across a variety of categories aside from vehicles such as lifestyle, gadgets, fashion accessories, and property. The free app is free for download on iOS and Apple devices. For more information, visit www.carousell.com and www.carousell.ph.