LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

New research from CDK Global (Nasdaq: CDK), a leading enabler of end-to-end automotive commerce, found that 80 percent of buyers are likely to begin the car buying process online; still, 78 percent said they value the in-store dealership experience. While the automotive retail industry is racing to provide the next online tool, the complete CDK study reveals that while shoppers expect the dealership to enable them to do more from home, the majority don’t want to purchase their vehicle completely online.

“Shoppers told us they are interested in more online tools, but they don’t want to buy cars online just because they can,” said Max Steckler, vice president, product management, CDK Global. “There has to be more value, and the connection between online and in-store is critical to providing value for dealers and shoppers alike. Offering a flexible and dynamic retailing platform that connects showrooms to living rooms is appealing to car buyers. Shoppers and dealers can complete as much of the deal as they like online, then pick up the process in store. Alternatively, they can test drive their vehicle of choice in the dealership, then complete the transaction later from home.”

Today, CDK Global introduces Connected Store 2.0. Building on the success of its predecessor and driving toward a quote-anywhere transact-anywhere model, Connected Store 2.0 offers an enhanced customer interface, transparent payment breakdown, as well as F&I products to add to the payment builder. Additionally, Connected Store 2.0 is now completely portable. It can be placed on dealer and OEM websites, endemic sites, in-store apps, CRMs and more.

Connected Store 2.0 breaks the barrier between online and in-store with CDK Quote Cloud, an API now available on the automotive industry’s new Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange™ platform. Quote Cloud allows vendor partners to access live shopper quote leads with rich data right from the source. The solution will offer clearer online retailing data in any CRM, and better downstream integrations into other tools like Desking and F&I for dealers.

“Today’s dealers are searching for control, efficiency and cost savings, and today’s shoppers want a shorter, more efficient and enjoyable in-store experience – Connected Store 2.0 achieves both objectives,” said Steckler.

The recent CDK study found that 70 percent of millennials use dealership websites when narrowing down which dealer to visit, while the average car shopper spends nearly nine hours researching online. Even with the investment in research and planning, 43 percent of shoppers are still spending three or more hours at the dealership when buying a car.

“It’s clear that there is a tremendous opportunity for dealers to reshape the purchase process on their terms by moving more of their own processes online, while catering to the evolving needs of their shoppers establishing trust through transparency,” Steckler continued.

Connected Store brings the complete end-to-end deal-making power of the showroom to the shopper in a clean and unintimidating online interface. The updated 2.0 application streamlines this process, improving upon existing functionality for a better experience. New features include:

• Enhanced, Faster and Portable User Interface: Connected Store 2.0 has a simplified and modern new user interface that overlays an end user's browser or application. It can be installed on a vehicle search results page, within a CRM system, on a tablet application and more. The updated tool features a more polished and guided experience, yet doesn’t require a shopper to finish any steps before submitting their quote to the dealership. This new interface also features faster load times and includes crisp, clean animations.
• Improved Payment Breakdown: The new payment breakdown window in Connected Store 2.0 provides a clear and detailed breakdown of the shopper's quote including price, incentives, lender info, taxes and fees.
• F&I and Accessories Module: Dealers can add F&I products and accessories to the Payment Builder section of Connected Store 2.0. This can include product names, descriptions, photos, and links to catalogs and videos.

CDK Connected Store 2.0 is now available for all brands. For more information, visit cdkglobal.com/connectedstore.

About CDK Global

With more than $2 billion in revenues, CDK Global (NASDAQ: CDK) is a leading global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail and adjacent industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end automotive commerce, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers in more than 100 countries around the world, serving approximately 28,000 retail locations and most automotive manufacturers. CDK solutions automate and integrate all parts of the dealership and buying process from targeted digital advertising and marketing campaigns to the sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair, and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com.

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