The Covid-19 crisis has had far reaching effects on the auto industry and though it is expected that the pre-owned business will do much better in comparison to the new cars sector. We have brought you stories backed by data, which showed exactly how the pre-owned business is finding a sure footing. But there's also the pre-owned luxury car business too. Now Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW already offer their certified cars, but the attention that Big Boy Toyz gets sets it apart from what the OEMs has to offer. Known for its varied collection of luxury and super cars, Big Boy Toyz has felt the impact of sales due to the coronavirus but that hasn't stopped the luxury car marketplace from continuing with business as usual.
Jatin Ahuja, Founder and Managing Director, Big Boy Toyz spoke to carandbike about the impact on business. “Sales definitely have been impacted and it's across the industry. Footfalls to our showrooms too have fallen and in places like Mumbai (which is one of the worst affected cities), there's been no visits. But there's a silver lining because the quick turnaround on the digital front has kept us in good stead because there are people who are ready to purchase vehicles and that's always a good sign!”
The Big Boy Toyz showrooms have seen a drop in footfalls at its showrooms, but its online traffic has surged
Digitisation has become the word of the day during this coronavirus crisis and according to the figures provided by Big Boy Toyz, about 75 per cent sales of the company's inventory has been sold via the online route. In fact, the company had to action its digital transformation very quickly. In fact the company recently started a ‘Sell your car in 29 minutes' promotion on its website and that's getting a lot of traction.
Jatin said, “It took us two years to craft the website and then perfect it. But now we had to go back to the drawing board to make sure that the website is more customer friendly because they cannot come to the showroom. This meant making investments into getting the website ready and adding features which would allow customers to browse through the car of their choice without a hassle. And we have managed to do it because 70-75 per cent of the customers who have bought vehicles have not visited any of our showrooms and that's encouraging.”
Looking at the online demand, the company will come out with an app very soon
In fact, for the company, the digital footprint has gone up drastically, which is why it is now planning to launch an app and that will be available soon. But what about inventory, is there enough? Jatin adds, “We have dedicated teams in Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, Indore, Delhi and other cities too, so all the cars that we buy are from very reliable sources and we pride ourselves on our network strength. We have our own trucks as well, so while there might be a slight delay in transporting cars, we are making sure they reach the destination as soon as possible.”
