Imperial Cars has said that it expects June to be a record used car sales month after COVID-19 safe trading initiatives helped it re-open with a bang following lockdown.

Traffic to the top ID50 car supermarket operator’s website is up 80% since the June 1 reopening of its 17 UK retail sites and operations director Neil Smith credits the results with the promotion of contactless sales, home deliveries and the provision of a ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ finance offer.

Smith said: “We’ve always made sure that when a customer buys one of our cars, the experience is simple, honest, pain-free and enjoyable, and services like ‘Click, Call, Collect/Deliver’ is proof of that.

“Customers are perhaps anxious about buying a car during coronavirus, but we’d like to assure them we make their and our employees’ health our upmost priority, and it’s pleasing to see customers feel confident in the services we offer.”

Customers can defer paying for their new car for up to three months with Imperial Cars’ deferred finance offer – which reflects the new car offerings of Ford, the Volkswagen Group and Renault/Dacia – while the business has been impressed by customers’ response to its ‘Click, Call, Collect/Deliver’ services.

Click, Call, Collect/Deliver allows car buyers to make an appointment with the showroom, test drive the car and then drive away – and throughout the process the Imperial Cars team deal with the customer via video calls to make sure the highest safety standards are upheld.

If customers are unable to visit the showroom, a test drive can be carried out at the customer’s home and they can take delivery of the car.

“No matter whether a customer chooses to pick up their car from one of our showrooms or experience our contactless service, they can be assured they’ll get the best possible customer service,” said Smith.

Imperial Cars opened its 17th car supermarket, in Birmingham, just days before the COVID-19 lockdown period got underway on March 24.

The business has seen a fast expansion in recent years.

A ststament issued at the launch of the new Birmingham facility stated that it was on-course to hit turnover of £300 million in the current financial year and exceed that in 2020/21 after more new showrooms – in Manchester and County Durham – are opened later this year.