Brits Intimidated by Showrooms

A recent study by the UK’s number 1 motoring website – Auto Trader has discovered that as a nation, the British are generally intimidated in high value shopping environments.

Auto Trader have named this affliction ‘pretty women syndrome’ after the infamous scene in the movie where shop assistants look down their noses at Julia Robert’s character as she window shops on Rodeo Drive.

When it comes to high ticket purchases 69% of Brits attribute the feelings of intimidation to the ‘perceived’ attitudes of retail staff, with buying a new car or luxury and designer items ranking as the most intimidating of all.

74% of Brits claim they feel uncomfortable looking around a car dealership, with inhabitants of the North East; which is ironically the nation’s home of car manufacturing, feeling the most uncomfortable.

Second to the attitude of sales people was a lack of obvious pricing. When asked what would help them feel more at ease in these environments 49% of participants said they would like to be able to feel more able to browse at leisure, closely followed by 37% who would have liked more knowledge about the purchase being made.

With results out from SMMT today suggesting sales in the month of June have slumped just over 6% since last year, perhaps some work is needed in explaining to shoppers that today’s showroom staff are primarily on hand to help and assist in making the right choices, rather than pushing people into sales. These feelings of intimidation are in the majority of cases completely unnecessary.

Auto Trader have recently launched a New Cars website designed to give buyers the information they need to be ‘showroom ready’ and make the right purchase.

“Our New Cars site has already become one of the leading destinations for new car buyers in the UK. It’s an ideal first stop for consumers looking to make a new car purchase, providing them with detailed information and advice on what is sometimes considered a bit of a minefield.” said Matt Thompson, Group Marketing Director, Auto Trader, “Tools such as our Owner and Expert Reviews and key comparison feature are there to help consumers make their final purchasing decision and equip them to work with the dealer community to find the best model and price for them.”