They are the first of a steady stream of buyers who have adopted Subaru Australia’s ‘build and buy’ online purchasing concept that has its origins in 2012 when the company applied internet buying to its then new BRZ coupe.
Presently buyers can order the BRZ, the WRX, the WRX STI and from last month, the Impreza from the Subaru Australia website.
The company reports that already four customers have ordered and taken delivery of an Impreza using the website system.
The remarkable thing about ‘build-and-buy’ is that it is a totally Australian concept that has gone from a simple platform to being recently overhauled for more complex purchasing procedures.
“We’re the first in Australia and probably the world to do it this way,” said Subaru Australia managing director Colin Christie.
Subaru DriveMyCar
“The BRZ was a runaway success in terms of the product and in the way the online-buying process was adopted by Australians.
“One of our very first customers really shook us up because it broke all our expectations: the buyer was a lady octogenarian who lived in Manly. That was not what we were expecting from an online sale of a sports coupe.”
It taught Subaru a lot about what to expect from exposing the public to new tricks.
In 2014 the company added the WRX STI to the list and placed it on a new platform that made the build and buy process easier and quicker.
“We have sold about 1500 cars through our build-and-buy since then,” Mr Christie said.
“The number of people using our ‘build’ program alone is up 70 per cent this month compared with the same month last year.
“It proved to us that people are prepared to buy online.
Subau BRZ
“But it will not take over from bricks and mortar. People want the tangible experience of seeing the car and driving it – particularly when it’s a sportscar.
“I see online as being an important tool for buyers who know what they want. But it is also very important for people in regional areas who may not have access to a dealer or the dealer may not stock a BRZ or WRX or STI.
“In these cases, it may mean a trip to the city to see the cars so online can play an important role in us looking after the customer.”
All Subaru models in Australia are available to be configured – or built – using Subaru Australia’s online program. The idea is that buyers can build the specifications of the Subaru they want and have time to adjust the features to suit their needs and budget.
When completed, the build menu can be taken to a Subaru dealer and the buying process can be completed in the traditional manner.
Adding the “buy” feature is a bit more complex. Only the WRX, STI, BRZ and Impreza can follow through the build program into the buy program.
Mr Christie said that at the present time there were 124 online Impreza buyers who had moved past the build level into the buy program.
Subaru Werribee store
“Of those, 25 have completed the buy section and of those, four have completed the transaction online and are waiting to pick up their car.”
Mr Christie said his company was delighted the way the online system works and the fact it was being tried and picked up by many Australians.
“But we still want customers to drive the car, look at the accessories and engage in conversations with the dealerships,” he said.
“We expect that the online process will attract more females and younger buyers to Impreza than the traditional buyer who visits a dealership.
“But the majority of increased online use will be for the ‘build’ component that asks for no personal details. We see that some people are reluctant to move to the ‘buy’ program because it requires more details about the buyer.”
Mr Christie said the ‘build-and-buy’ concept had the full support of the national dealer group.
“It brings more people to our products and even those who use the online components will visit a dealer,” he said.
Subaru BuildnBuy
“The relationship with the dealer doesn’t disappear – the customer builds on that from the moment they take delivery of the car.”
Subaru Australia has made a “significant” investment in capital and in manning the online site.
It has revamped the platform to make it easier to use and capable of adding in the Impreza.
The company has also employed a specialist who handles the interaction between the company and the customer.
“We saw it necessary to have that human element available to prospective buyers using the online service,” Mr Christie said.
“It means customers can ring the specialist and will be guided through the process and have all queries answered. Buying a product online can seem clinical so we see the need for a large degree of human interaction and because of that, we have had positive feedback from customers.”
Mr Christie said adding more models to the ‘build-and-buy’ program was possible but it was “early days”.
“We’re still learning about what customers want and what they don’t want.”
By Neil Dowling
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