Automotive

An update from Codeweavers' CEO

Many things are still unknown about Covid-19 and the global pandemic but one that is becoming clear is that things are not going to get back to normal any time soon. Lockdown is going to be eased in phases, steadily over weeks or even months. I also believe that no matter how quickly the government lifts restrictions many if not most people are going to want to limit their social contact to their immediate circle of family and friends. There will be marked changes in behaviour for some time to come.

That said, there have been a couple of good news stories in the past few weeks. Web traffic seems to be on the increase indicating that consumer interest is returning, of a fashion.  Secondly, we now have clarity that selling vehicles online is allowed under the terms of the Government lock-down, on the condition that stringent measures are taken to protect employees and customers. More details about this can be found on the SMMT’s website under the ‘FAQs For Business’ tab on the link below. https://www.smmt.co.uk/industry-topics/covid-19-automotive-business-support/  

It is more important than ever that retailers have a clear plan of how to restart vehicle sales with an effective online sales solution combined with safe logistics operations. To support this effort Codeweavers are pleased to extend their offer of free online Commerce tools until we are clear of the current strict restrictions. These tools include a Checkout plugin that can be easily added to any website, as well as a standalone remote sales tool for building offers and sending a customised link to customers to enable them to buy directly from the link.  We encourage retailers to check with their web agencies as many offer eCommerce solutions of their own.

There are going to be opportunities that will need to be grasped in order to help mitigate the economic effects of the restrictions. Codeweavers’ online reservation tools have seen reservations more than doubled in April compared to our previous best month. I suspect that people who previously exclusively used public transport may well seek to purchase a vehicle to avoid the risk of catching the virus while crammed into buses or tubes. Inevitably, there will also be pent up demand. Many people will have delayed proceeding with significant purchases due to the uncertainty of their personal circumstances during the lockdown, so there is a real chance we could see a significant rebound when restrictions are eased.

Now is the time to get your house in order, plan and prepare to take advantage of the upcoming return to business. Speak to us by emailing our team on: contactus@codeweavers.net or phone us on: 0800 021 0888 or contact your media agency to get the latest update on how we can help your business get selling again.

Take care and stay safe,

Roland