One in three unwilling to wait more than a month for a new car factory order

One in three potential new car buyers are unwilling to wait more than four weeks for a new car order, a new survey suggests.

With dealerships looking likely to reopen on June 1, retailers will have to ensure short waiting times to stop consumers looking elsewhere. In fact, 12.5 per cent of 4,411 respondents to a What Car? survey will change to another brand if it offers a shorter delivery time.

The data also shows that a further 25 per cent are unwilling to wait up to eight weeks for a car, despite manufacturers playing catch-up as production lines reopen following the coronavirus outbreak.

Rachael Prasher, managing director of Haymarket Automotive, said: “It’s clear that patience is not going to be a virtue after June 1.

“It’s going to be something dealers on the frontline, and OEMs from an operational perspective, will have to address if they are to secure every potential sale.

“Given the ramping up of production is a gradual process, ‘expectation management’ is going to be important. Those willing and needing to buy will need choices presented more than ever before or they will simply walk away.”

An additional 31 per cent of people also said that they would rather delay a purchase rather than have their expectations about waiting times met.