Used Car Sales Study 2021

Nov 22, 2021

Market Study 2021 in Collaboration between DEKRA and Ipsos

Since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic at the latest, the topic of digitalization is now ever-present. In the used car business in car dealerships, digital contact with the end customer is also continuing to grow in significance.

This trend is confirmed by a survey on digitalization in the used car segment, carried out by Ipsos on behalf of DEKRA in Germany in 2017 and 2021.
For the first time, DEKRA, in collaboration with Ipsos, carried out the survey in four markets. In 2021, the survey was additionally carried out in France, the USA, and China. A few results are very similar in all the markets, while others differ significantly in part, when it comes to the expectations of used car buyers and interested parties in relation to the used car purchase.
International trend: digitalization in the used car market
Used car sales are increasingly becoming a digital business – and this is true on an international level. According to a joint survey conducted by expert organization DEKRA and market research institute Ipsos in Germany, France, the USA, and China, online sources play a crucial role before the purchase is made in all four countries. Indeed, most used car buyers in these countries first found out about their current vehicle on the Internet. On the whole, China has moved furthest when it comes to digitalization in the used car market.
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