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Research about women car buyers

'Are car dealers getting it right for women drivers?' UK members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club were asked in a recent survey.

The research found that price was the critical factor in most instances and whilst the majority of women drivers claimed that their current car was good value for money some wondered if they could have negotiated a better deal.

A high percentage of women drivers (80%) said they would return to the same dealer but one in four had felt patronised in some way and almost half (47%) had taken a friend or colleague along for support.

FOXY Lady Drivers Club Director Steph Savill believes that most female car buyers face a choice between their local car dealer, offering convenience and personal service but where they may be patronised or overcharged, or car supermarket discounters, auction houses and online websites where the deal might look better but the service less personal, regardless of gender.

“Many females object to taking someone with them when they go to a car showroom but they still do because they suspect they might get patronised or charged over the odds. Yet the same women are happy to negotiate a big ticket kitchen, bathroom or family holiday transaction on their own. Why should buying a new or used car be any less respectful, female friendly or enjoyable?”

Female buying behaviour

To understand the choices female car buyers face, members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club were asked how they did their new car shopping.

One in three had done their homework online by comparing makes and models at manufacturer and big car sales websites. This helped them decide their ideal car before setting out to negotiate the best deal. A quarter admitted to falling in love with a car on the basis of its looks and one in five had been influenced, for and against, by feedback from family and friends.

But when asked to rate the critical decision-making factors, most women adopted a similar and pragmatic approach to their final car shopping shortlist. Top of the list was 'price' followed by 'running costs' then 'safety'. CO₂ emissions ranked fourth, marginally higher than 'lifestyle features', 'looks' (including colour), 'brand' and bottom of the list 'engine performance'.

Based on their last car buying experience, more than half the FOXY sample said they would buy the same vehicle make and model again but one in four planned to look at other car brands the next time around.

Can car shopping be more female friendly?

When asked how car shopping could be a more female friendly experience in future few respondents wanted to see more female showroom staff and over half the sample opposed the suggestion that more females were needed.

However almost all respondents (89%) were in favour of a 'no obligation' and fact-finding chat before the sales person took over and an honest 'no haggle' price policy from the outset.

This suggests that local car dealers can do more to please their female customers and perhaps this honest and transparent approach might help them compete with discount car supermarkets and websites who sell direct.

Steph Savill saw lots of sales opportunities for local dealers commenting
“We hear of females driving to distant car supermarkets they don't know or travelling '00s of miles to collect a new car they haven't seen, rather than give their local dealer the chance to compete. Unless local dealers do a better job of communicating their local advantage, best price and a female friendly welcome, I can see more women drivers doing their homework online and ending up cutting out the local middle man. What we need is more, not less, choice for the customer in future.”

How can car dealers sell to more women in future?

Steph believes that the best car dealers and dealerships need to start by getting their service levels right for women, to then bridge the female confidence gap with a view to the future.

On the basis of earlier research about women's buying habits Steph had developed the FOXY Choice website to promote the quality credentials of female friendly car dealers and dealerships who signed a commitment to “never knowingly overcharge, patronise or sell customers products or services they do not need or want.”

“No matter the car type, make or model” she explained “women drivers should be able to go car shopping on their own and rely on value for money, a genuine female friendly welcome and a good day out. And seeing this from a commercial perspective, any female buyer who then suspects that she might have been better served elsewhere is highly likely to try a different new car dealer the next time around.”

About the Survey

Carried out by research company 'Shape The Future' in December 2008 this included a sample of 332 members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club who had previously bought a brand new, nearly new or used car from a used car dealer or main car dealership in the UK. The top five car brands included in this survey were Ford, Vauxhall, Renault, VW and Nissan.

If this subject interests you and you'd like to know more about garage services as well, you can read FOXY's Garage Guide for information about female friendly garages and dealerships selling and servicing new and used cars.