Powering Asbury Automotive’s new eCommerce offering ‘Clicklane’, Virtual Retailing 2.0 is now available to dealers nationwide.
PRESS RELEASE (December 3, 2020) — Gubagoo – the leading provider of digital retailing, messaging, and conversational commerce solutions for automotive dealerships – announced a powerful new release of its industry-leading Virtual Retailing platform.
With online car sales soaring across the nation, there has never been a more compelling time for automotive dealers to embrace digital retailing. The industry is quickly moving from early adopters to the tipping point of wide adoption, with the pandemic having accelerated dealerships’ demand for online eCommerce tools.
Built on a conversational commerce platform, Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing has been a market leader since its introduction in 2019. The platform allows customers to purchase a vehicle online, and arrange delivery to their door.
The new release provides real-time, data-driven trade-in values, VIN-specific F&I products personalized to the driver, and is the only retail platform offering an automotive loan marketplace with more than 30 lenders including online contracting and signature.
“The entire process of purchasing a vehicle can be completed in the same amount of time as it takes to purchase groceries, online,” said Brad Title, CEO of Gubagoo. “With an integrated, seamless transition between online and in-store, any dealer, anywhere in the country, can now offer the ultimate frictionless car-buying experience for their customers.”
Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE: ABG), one of the nation’s largest dealership groups, has recently launched Clicklane, their full eCommerce solution, powered by Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing 2.0 platform. Close collaboration between Asbury and Gubagoo was key to the innovation leaps made in this new release.
“Gubagoo’s new release of Virtual Retailing was the only solution that could meet our demanding standards for the end-to-end eCommerce experience we envisioned for Clicklane,” said David Hult, CEO of Asbury. “Their execution and support have been flawless, and their product is positively a game-changer.”
From the beginning, Gubagoo’s approach to automotive eCommerce has been to ensure that consumers enjoy a fast, fun, and easy purchasing experience.
Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing and messaging tools empower dealers to monitor, engage, and connect with consumers in real-time, through chat, text, Messenger, or video conferencing. Providing guided assistance online and offline is key to staying connected to consumers through the buying journey.
“Websites by-and-large are cold and lonely,” said Title. “Consumers need guided assistance without the sales pressure.”
Virtual Retailing 2.0 was previewed to dealerships at the Automotive Analytics and Attribution Summit, hosted by author, speaker, and automotive influencer Brian Pasch. In a recent podcast, Pasch emphasized the importance of being able to serve customers in real-time, rather than “chasing leads” after customers leave the website, as critical to seeing success from digital retailing.
“Our data shows that when you engage and serve customers while they’re in your online showroom, you will sell more cars at a lower cost,” said Pasch.
Many dealerships who have adopted Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing, or switched from another digital retailing provider, have seen exciting results.
“Our results from Virtual Retailing have been very strong,” shared Nate Sato, Director of Digital Marketing at Ken Garff Automotive Group. “There’s no question – our customers love the experience, and our team is thrilled.”
“Creating a comfortable, enjoyable experience is the key to winning the hearts of consumers,” added Title. “We are very excited to partner with dealerships across the country to help future-proof their online strategy. With Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing 2.0, dealers’ can expect a significant increase in their online sales.”
About Gubagoo
Gubagoo is the leading provider of conversational commerce and retail solutions for both automotive dealerships and OEMs. Used by more than 7,000 dealerships worldwide, and over 90% of the top 150 dealer groups in America, Gubagoo’s messaging platform instantly connects consumers to dealerships through live chat, text, video, Facebook Messenger, and other digital messaging channels, converting high quality leads, appointments, and sales for dealerships.
Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing platform provides an end-to-end buying experience on dealership websites. Customers are able to buy a car online with real-time support from dealership personnel, and have the vehicle delivered at the dealership or their door.
For more information, visit gubagoo.com.
