Four in ten car dealers (40%) believe that car showrooms continue to be male-dominated environments, according to the latest Startline Used Car Tracker for July.
The report reveals growing concern in the motor retail sector about how well it serves female customers. More than a third (35%) of dealers think some women are choosing to shop online to avoid visiting showrooms, while 33% say the industry needs to focus on recruiting and empowering more female staff.
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“Some have recognised this problem and taken welcome actions,” said Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, referring to efforts such as hiring more women. The research shows 42% of dealers now employ women in their sales teams, though just 22% say they employ as many women as men.
Almost half of dealers (48%) say they have tried to make their showrooms more female-friendly. However, 12% admit they are unsure how to improve the environment, and a third believe more feedback from women customers is needed.
“These responses underline the problems some parts of the industry face,” Burgess said. “Perhaps more research by dealers is needed to fully understand this issue.”
The questions were prompted by earlier research from Citroën UK showing that nearly half (48%) of women feel the car retail experience is biased toward men, and only 25% feel comfortable asking for help in a showroom.
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By GlobalDataThe Startline Used Car Tracker is produced monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, which surveyed 300 consumers and 60 dealers for this edition.
