Research by eBay Motors Group suggests dealers should have their digital marketing primed for a 'Boxing Day Bounce' as more consumers take some time to search for cars after Christmas.

From online trends over the last two years, the online marketplace has noted rises in used car search activity on Boxing Day, and it believes this, combined with ongoing underlying demand for cars in the run-up to Christmas, suggests dealers might get a significant increase in used car search activity on December 26.

Analysis across its portfolio shows visits increasing on Boxing Dayby up to 77% on Motors.co.uk, 53% on Gumtree Motors and 15% on eBay Motors, versus Christmas Eve's searches. 

“Boxing Day is traditionally a busy day for the whole retail sector with Britons going online to search for bargains at the start of the post-Christmas sales,” said Dermot Kelleher, Motors.co.uk’s head of marketing and business intelligence.

“Clearly, with Covid-driven restrictions in place for this Christmas period, arrangements will be totally different for everyone with less travel, parties and events to attend. We believe car buyers will use this as an opportunity to go online and our modelling shows how dealers could benefit from a welcome Boxing Day Bounce,” he said.

“It’s important for dealers to keep the visibility of their listings high at this time and continue to promote Covid-safe buying.  Although this year has been far from normal, we believe we’ll keep the tradition of consumers kick starting the car searching process once the turkey and mince pies are gone,” said Kelleher.

Seperately, rival online car marketplace heycar has extended its free delivery offer on all vehicles for an extra month, to January 31, to support dealers amid the huge disruption caused by the COVID-19 countermeasures.

Dealers fulfilling a delivery request for a buyer will have the expense reimbursed by heycar.