Carmudi Analyses Motorists Perceptions on Car Dealerships, Launches SMS service

Even though it seems that the Internet is slowly replacing all sorts of middlemen in the auto purchasing business with more people and businesses going online to sell or buy cars, cars for sale are still mostly showcased in auto showrooms and car sales are still mostly conducted by car dealers.
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In emerging markets, including Nigeria, where mobile and Internet penetration is growing, car dealers still play a significant role.

Similarly, Carmudi launched SMS services to aid those surfing the net for cars to buy.

Through partnerships with local auto dealers in the country, Carmudi conducted a survey in order to analyze what Nigerian motorists look for before purchasing a car and how car dealership visits are perceived by prospective buyers.

Carmudi's Survey
Carmudi’s survey found that 64% of Nigerians have bought a car in the past 1 to 2 years, while 16% last bought a car in the past 3 to 5 years.

While all survey respondents reported that that making dealer visits are important before purchasing, all Nigerian respondents also stated that they prefer buying a car at a dealer rather than online.

About 84% of the respondents reported that they made an average of one to two visits to an auto dealership before making a purchase as the case of Mr Opeyemi who after searching on carmudi.com.ng for a car of his choice visited several dealerships before buying his car from a Carmudi dealer.

Impact of Internet Penetration ‎
The Carmudi study also found that all respondents agree that visiting auto dealerships is important before purchasing a car.

All Nigerian car buyers find visiting auto dealerships as a pleasant experience as they can compare different type of cars in one visit.

Aside from the ability to test-drive vehicles at dealerships, Nigerians also found car dealers to be informative sources as they can walk buyers through all the features that are offered in their car of interest.

Carmudi Nigeria also unveiled an SMS service that allows fans get car tips and advice via SMS.

This service is exclusive to Carmudi Nigeria and powered my MTN.

To get started text CAR to 50033 from any MTN line and get daily car care tips and advice.

 Amy Mouneke, managing director, Carmudi Nigeria, during an interview said ‘Carmudi Nigeria is dedicated to becoming a one stop shop for all things automobile. The use of the online carsite Carmudi Nigeria ensures customers get the best deal available in the market, the Carmudi journal gives automobile news, car tips and advice online and now we have an SMS service that gives provide tips via SMS.”
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Carmudi was founded in 2013 and is currently available in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia.

The vehicle marketplace offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.