Analysis of factors influencing car purchases on the Internet by automotive customers in Germany

Robert von Böhlen () and Iveta Šimberová ()
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Robert von Böhlen: Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
Iveta Šimberová: Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 2023, vol. 10, issue 3, 340-361

Abstract: This research aims to investigate various factors influencing the decision of automotive customers in Germany to buy a car on the Internet. The empirical study conducted mainly examines the influence of multiple factors such as employment status, gender, desire for advice when buying a car, price sensitivity, previous online vehicle purchasing experience, familiarity with online vehicle platforms, the intensity of general online shopping and age of the respondents on the degree of online vehicle purchasing behaviour. The scientific literature has produced only a few concrete studies in this regard. It is still being determined which factors are decisive for customers to buy their car online. Online vehicle purchasing behaviour was approximated using a Likert scale. Over 250 participants were surveyed in this process. The results were analysed by contrasting each influencing factor with online vehicle buying behaviour as part of a simple linear regression model. The T-test was then used to test each hypothesis for significance. A multivariate linear regression model was then constructed and retested with the significant influencing factors obtained. This showed that employment status, desire for advice when buying a car, having already made an online vehicle purchase, knowledge of online vehicle platforms, and general online shopping are (highly) significant and, therefore, strongly influence the online purchase decision of automotive customers in Germany. Future research should focus on comparing the results of this study for Germany and other more digital countries.

Keywords: automotive industry; automotive retail; digital transformation; customer behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A23 C12 F14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ssi:jouesi:v:10:y:2023:i:3:p:340-361

DOI: 10.9770/jesi.2023.10.3(23)

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