BMW makes online car buying easy

Is this the beginning of the end for the car salesperson, or just another marketing gimmick? Will we still be toddling off to a shiny BMW showroom to purchase a new car from a be-suited salesperson in 2025? Only time will tell…

BMW has launched ‘BMW Retail Online’, a unique end-to-end buying solution for its cars. Now BMW customers will be able to handle all aspects of the car buying process online wherever and whenever they want to. With just a few clicks, prospective BMW owners can build their perfect car online, arrange a test drive if necessary, agree financing options and payment method, and get a trade-in value for their own car before finalising the delivery date. Previously new car buyers had been able to do some of the car buying process online, but now they are able to sit back and do it all from the comfort of their own home, at a time of their choosing, courtesy of BMW Retail Online. Every step can also be supported by a BMW Genius or a sales executive at the retailer via live chat or email.Though the buying process can all be done online, a level of human interaction is still vital to provide personal guidance and peace of mind for the customer when required. Multi-channel chat options (webchat or email) mirror the in-showroom BMW Genius experience and are offered from 8am to 10pm.Before being rolled out nationally, BMW Retail Online was trialled with nine UK retailers and proved such a success that 95 per cent of BMW UK retailers have decided to offer this service to their customers.