GM to Roll Out Benchmark Internet Shopping Service Nationwide
28 September 1998
GM to Roll Out Benchmark Internet Shopping Service Nationwide; GM BuyPower Initiative Raises the Bar For Automotive Online Services
DETROIT--Sept. 28, 1998--General Motors Monday announced plans for an aggressive national roll-out of "GM BuyPower," the company's benchmark automotive online shopping and purchasing initiative located at www.gmbuypower.com.
The first manufacturer initiative of its kind, the national launch of GM BuyPower, scheduled for the first quarter of 1999, marks General Motors' most significant foray into e-commerce and signals the company's vision to lead in automotive innovations and technology.
Like the GM BuyPower test pilot launched last October in four Western states, the national program will enable consumers to shop for and buy a new GM vehicle over the Internet at gmbuypower.com.
The comprehensive Web site gives customers unprecedented access to dealer inventory, third-party competitive comparison charts and the ability to communicate directly with a dealer. In addition, customers can print out a window sticker, request the dealers' best purchase price on a selected vehicle, and even schedule a test drive.
The national initiative will be spearheaded by Ron Sobrero, general sales and service manager, Chevrolet Motor Division; and Ann Noel Blakney, director of GM's Consumer Marketing Initiative, and is expected to be available in all 50 states. Starting today, General Motors begins an aggressive dealer enrollment and training program designed to enlist its dealers nationwide.
"We're committed to being the leader in automotive electronic commerce and to providing a great new way to shop for and buy a GM car or truck," said Sobrero. "The Internet has revolutionized how our world communicates and conducts business. With GM BuyPower, we've boldly entered a new era of how cars and trucks are sold and we want to continue to lead the way for our customers."
GM BuyPower Made Easy
GM BuyPower was launched as a test pilot in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho in October 1997. Powered by GM's massive legacy system, gmbuypower.com is the first automotive manufacturer-developed Web site to create a consumer-focused service that offers unprecedented access to dealer inventory on a national level.
What sets gmbuypower.com apart from similar programs? With the click of the mouse, consumers have:
-- direct online access to GM dealer inventories, which are updated
every morning to delete cars sold and add incoming stock
-- a range of services, including the ability to schedule a test
drive, ask a dealer to hold or locate a specific vehicle, and
obtain the dealer's best purchase price on a selected vehicle
-- response to online requests within 24 hours
GM BuyPower also differentiates itself from other online automotive services by not locking consumers into geographic exclusivity, ensuring that customers have the optimum in choice and convenience.
"Today people are pressured for time, and we wanted to give them the ability to shop and buy on their own terms," said Blakney. "With GM BuyPower we empower consumers by giving them control and the ability to judge products and value for themselves."
GM BuyPower is the only online service that enables consumers to actually locate the exact vehicle of their choice from the GM BuyPower dealer they choose, and a full range of dealer services -- all in one place. All that's left to do is visit the dealership, sign the paperwork, and take delivery of their new car or truck.
GM BuyPower's Success
GM BuyPower is being rolled out nationwide due to the explosive growth of the Internet and the success of the regional pilot.
GM BuyPower's Web site received more than 670,000 unique visits in its first ten months as a test pilot in four states, with users spending on average 11 minutes online and making it one of GM's most active sites. More than 60 percent of the dealers in the Western region took advantage of the service and consumers made more than 300,000 online searches for GM BuyPower Dealers.
Further, this number does not include "stealth shoppers," who prefer to shop anonymously, using the site to gather all the background needed to make an informed choice and then completing the transaction physically at the dealership. A recent independent study of GM buyers in the four-state pilot who used the Internet showed 35 percent were on gmbuypower.com before they purchased a vehicle.
"It was obvious to us that this one-of-a-kind service should be made available to all consumers who want to shop at their own pace while saving time and money," added Blakney. "Only GM BuyPower gives consumers such a range of services and direct online communication with a certified manager at the dealership who has been trained to streamline the entire purchase experience."