More and more marketing pundits argue that online sales are bound to take definitely the lead in every retail sector, even those that currently appear to be the most refractory ones. Among these last, there is certainly the automotive retail industry, apparently one of those frameworks in which the traditional business-to-consumer in-person interaction still plays a crucial role. In particular, a series of more specific “niches” are still strongly connected with the idea that a vehicle must be purchased only after having hold the wheel as well as the accelerator pedal. Just think about the agricultural vehicles, a range of products that has always been linked to an idea of “empirical approach” to their use by the final consumer.
From this perspective, the campers and vans sector is located in between a “traditional” approach and a more contemporary one. Campers are, especially in some countries (just think about the Southern Europe – Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece – or the entire Northern American Continent), the “family vehicle” par excellence, and its purchase is strictly related to a common agreement and a high level of appreciation shared by all the family members. Turning to a specialized dealer is often a consequence of this attitude, which is deeply rooted and therefore generally hard to eradicate.
Despite that, something is changing even in the apparently motionless campers and van international market. The economic crisis that affected most part of the Western countries (again, European Union and United States first), pushed more and more people to look for bargains into the second-hand campervans worldwide offer, which meant being more interested and focused on the online retail websites. This is probably the main reason why a few online sales hubs specialized in light-duty vehicles – such as, for example, Truck1.eu – have rapidly become a reference point for many camper lovers and/or potential buyers.
What they discovered through a more thorough exploration of these websites is that buying a camper on them could be more profitable in many unexpected ways. In brief:
- They can save money.
- They have a wider, virtually limitless, range of choice.
- They don’t have necessarily to pick the vehicle at a selling point.
- They are insured against every risk or malfunction.
- They become part of a community of camper and van lovers like them.
- They realize that they can afford vehicles that they supposed to be not even approachable in terms of cost, like the widely demanded Hymer’s series and models.
In other words, digital marketing is not a revolution in terms of sales, at least for what concerns the campers and vans sector. It is more a facilitator, a mean through which people can connect with the worldwide market, browse dozens of thousands of options and pick the vehicle that matches perfectly their needs. Such a privilege was completely unknown when the traditional purchase pattern used to be the only option available. And this seems to be in all respects the ultimate factor that proves right those who predict a bright future for every kind of online marketing.
