Carwow targets Â£72m sales in Scottish drive

Thousands of franchised dealerships have signed up to the Carwow site.

The venture says that since its launch in 2010 it has tapped into “changing public shopping habits”, and attracts 2.4 million visitors to its site every month. It has already generated more than £2 billion of sales south of the Border.

Thousands of franchised dealerships have signed up to the site, which matches buyers with dealers in real time to “remove the hassle and haggle” of visiting multiple showrooms.

Carwow, which was founded by entrepreneur James Hind and has attracted £50m of funding from venture capitalists, including those behind Zoopla, Spotify and Facebook, said it was “serious about Scotland”. It has established a dedicated team speaking to dealerships across the country.

Head of brand marketing, Tracy Woods, who hails from Glasgow, said: “The way people shop has changed forever and, even for major purchases, the expectation is that you can do it online from your living room.

“The success we have had in England has buoyed the industry, which is why we want to grow Carwow into Scotland in a big way, too.”

Andrew Hooks, chief operating officer, added: “It’s a new revenue stream for the industry and one that should be seized with both hands.

“Although we have not had a focus on Scotland up until now, Carwow has had customers from north of the Border, who have bought from English dealerships and were willing to travel to collect their new car.”