Sophus3’s 2025 automotive digital trends work highlighted the growing importance of vehicle stock locators. Traffic to dedicated ecommerce purchase pages remained small, but stock-finder usage had increased markedly as manufacturers returned to a more supply-led market.
Sophus3 recorded a tripling in visits to stock-finder pages over the previous 24 months. More brands had added or improved this functionality and increasingly used stock pages as destinations for online marketing.
The analysis also showed significant differences in execution. Volkswagen was highlighted for both the capability of its stock locator and the way it was integrated into the customer journey.
The broader webinar covered changes in online buyer behaviour, audience quality, EV demand, Chinese brands, mobility services and customer consent. The common theme was that ecommerce tools create value when they are well integrated into the wider digital journey rather than treated as isolated functionality.
