REPLY
18.5.2021 09:32:11 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Through its proprietary Trend Sonar trend monitoring platform, Reply recently conducted a study to examine how the e-commerce model has evolved over time – particularly in the automotive domain – revolutionising the sector and consequently influencing customer expectations.
A digital approach and a strong online presence have become indispensable in the automotive sector, especially since last year when the global pandemic placed the digital realm in a preferential lane, rewarding businesses that have been able to change their business model quickly in favour of digitisation.
Over the past year (more specifically from April 2020 to March 2021), analysing the frequency of mentions of millions of online sources – expert media articles, mass media, patents and scientific publications – Reply’s Trend Sonar monitoring platform has, indeed, confirmed a 61% growth in content related to automotive e-commerce compared to the previous 12 months.
An evolution that starts from afar. The automotive sector is not new to change: in the last 20 years it has been the protagonist of an unprecedented revolution. Reply’s analysis, in fact, shows that all the conditions and prerequisites are in place for the sector to find itself on the threshold of a new discontinuity.
The first online marketplaces for used cars date back to 2000, while a few years later the first online broker platforms began gaining popularity, directly connecting authorised dealers and end consumers and offering online booking, car configuration and digital brochure services. This was followed by the first online dealerships and, in recent years, car manufacturers have started selling their vehicles directly to the end consumer, adopting Direct to Consumer models.
Today's scenario: between the physical and the digital worlds. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the pace of digitalisation has greatly accelerated: digitised analytics systems, pricing tools and financing processes are now a necessary standard to help increase leads in the sector. Reply’s study highlights precisely how, at this point in time, we find ourselves at a crossroads between the offer of digital and traditional services. Indeed, in the near future, services such as 3D showrooms, virtual test drives, advanced configuration tools and digital concierge services are expected to see increasing use, allowing consumers to test and configure products directly online.
By opting for direct online sales to customers, native digital car manufacturers are turning the traditional car buying model upside down. The customer journey has also been impacted by the current revolution underway: leasing, financing, choice of insurance providers and coverage or even vehicle registration have recently digitised and automated the customer experience, shortening waiting times and eliminating paper documents.
The future of mobility is increasingly more virtual. Since car sharing services have entered the market, mobility has, in fact, begun to be perceived as a service built around the digital world . Many car manufacturers and industry suppliers are adopting an approach in which the car is becoming a platform capable of providing access to a broad digital ecosystem of app-based data and services. In fact, in the future, in addition to a means of mobility and transport, cars are expected to be increasingly used as a tool to collect data on customers. Access, exchange and sharing of this information will be decisive for defining future dynamics and for offering the customer a range of more complete and personalised services, which may even include solutions proposed by customers themselves.
More information on the research is available on Reply’s website at “E-commerce trends: mobility and car sales ”.
Reply
Reply [MTA, STAR: REY, ISIN: IT0005282865] specialises in the design and implementation of solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. As a network of highly specialised companies, Reply defines and develops business models enabled by the new models of AI, big data, cloud computing, digital media and the internet of things. Reply delivers consulting, system integration and digital services to organisations across the telecom and media; industry and services; banking and insurance; and public sectors. www.reply.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210518005081/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Dubai’s Medcare Hospital Becomes the World’s First to Treat an Adult Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Patient Outside the US28.4.2026 15:57:00 CEST | Press release
Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital (MRSH) in Dubai has become the world’s first hospital outside the USA, to offer a newly licensed intrathecal gene therapy - Itvisma, to adult patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This one-time treatment was recently administered to a 22-year-old Egyptian patient, who was diagnosed at 18 months and confined to a wheelchair for most of his life. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428038416/en/ Dr. Vivek Mundada with Medcare multidisciplinary medical team (Photo: AETOSWire) Last year, Medcare also became the first healthcare provider globally to administer the newly licensed Itvisma to a four-year-old international SMA patient. SMA is a rare neuromuscular disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and loss of mobility, impacting movement, breathing, and swallowing. Until now, advancements in gene therapy for SMA were primarily restricted to children under the age o
Perpetual Atomics and QSA Global Fuel the World’s First Americium-Powered Radioisotope Heater Unit Core28.4.2026 15:48:00 CEST | Press release
In a landmark achievement for international space exploration, Perpetual Atomics, QSA Global, Inc. and the University of Leicester have completed the first historical production of an Americium-fuelled Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) full scale core containing ceramic form americium-241 pellets in a metal containment structure. This breakthrough builds on the successful americium pelleting work in late 2025 and on two decades of experience in leading the development of americium space nuclear power systems by the Leicester team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428027123/en/ QSA Global and Perpetual Atomics Team Born out of ENDURE, a European Space Agency (ESA) project, and part of a transatlantic collaboration, this achievement provides the steppingstones for an industrial pathway to deliver radioisotope power systems for spacecraft enabling these to survive and thrive in the most extreme environments in the
Alipay Launches AI Payment Processing Product to Help Businesses and OPCs Thrive in the Agentic Economy28.4.2026 15:47:00 CEST | Press release
New solution enables businesses to monetize services through AI agents Alipay today launched a new AI payment processing product that enables businesses, large and small, including One Person Companies (OPCs) in the Chinese mainland, to receive payments seamlessly when autonomous AI agents, including OpenClaw-type agents, purchase their services. This new product is being launched as AI agents are increasingly executing tasks on behalf of users, from booking travel and comparing prices, to allocating computing power and buying tokens. The product is available on Alipay’s website (https://aipay.alipay.com/). With Alipay’s AI payment processing product, small and medium-sized businesses do not need to build complex payment or settlement systems. By simply onboarding their monetizable services, businesses can reach more customers and receive payment each time an AI agent purchases their service. Bocha, an AI-powered search tool offering web search support for AI applications including Dee
HTEC Research: Only One in Three Healthcare Organizations is Ready to Scale AI28.4.2026 15:22:00 CEST | Press release
Healthcare and life sciences leaders are advancing AI with caution—fragmentation, capability gaps, and execution challenges are slowing enterprise-wide impact AI is already embedded across healthcare and life sciences. Most organizations are deploying it, and confidence in its potential is high. Yet for many, the real challenge is only just beginning. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260428872907/en/ HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design and engineering services, today released new research based on a global survey of 253 C-level HLS executives across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. AI is already embedded across healthcare and life sciences. Most organizations are deploying AI, and confidence in its potential is high. Yet for many, the real challenge is only just beginning. HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design a
JPMorganChase Named First-Ever Global Banking Partner of the Olympic Games28.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
International Olympic Committee and JPMorganChase Announce Landmark Global Olympic Partnership The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and JPMorganChase today announced a landmark Worldwide Olympic Partnership, making JPMorganChase the first Global Banking Partner in Olympic history. The partnership includes the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28 Games) and the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The firm has also reached an agreement with LA28 to become the Official Bank of Team USA and LA28, and a Founding Partner of the LA28 Games. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to ambition and excellence, and places athletes and communities at its core. Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC, commented: “JPMorganChase is the first Global Partner from the banking sector in Olympic history, and we are proud to welcome them to the Worldwide Olympic Partner programme. This partnership reflects our shared values of ambition, excellence and will support t
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom