Digital or Dealership? Europe’s Truck Buyers Use Both Channels

Europe’s truck buyers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their purchase behavior, Bain & Company’s most recent survey finds. Most buyers now combine online research with visits to dealers to learn about vehicles before making their purchase decisions. For most, the dealer becomes more important as buyers move closer to the purchase and need help with specifications and configuration, financing, service plans, and other key elements of the truck offering. Customers appreciate online configurators and personalized cost calculations, but they also look to the dealer to help them navigate this process. For truck makers and dealers, it will become more critical to get the touchpoints right across the sales process and find new ways to serve and excite their customers.

Magnus Burling and Johan Lundgren are partners with Bain & Company in Stockholm. Jörg Gnamm and Eric Zayer are partners in the firm’s Munich office. All four work with Bain’s Global Automotive practice.

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