Two thirds of car buyers in Russia find their car online, research by the leading Russia-based automotive vertical Avito Auto shows.
Shopping for a car increasingly begins not in the showroom, but in front of a computer, Avito Auto says, pointing out that 85% of Russians search for a car online, and two-thirds of those who completed the transaction found the car online. This, Avito Auto believes, reflects a new way of decision making: digital, pragmatic, and data-driven.
Buyer behavior is changing
Avito Auto research shows that most users come to the platform with a clear plan. About 71% search among specific brands, 57% have a particular model in mind, and a fifth even limit their search to a concrete production year of the car. This, to Avito, means the market is gradually shifting from random finds to targeted searches.
“The auto market is being increasingly immersed in the digital environment,” Avito Auto declares.
Price remains the most popular filter, while specifying ‘fewer years and low mileage’ is giving way to the pursuit of the best price-to-condition ratio.
Avito Auto puts this down to the increased market transparency: users can now see vehicle inspection reports, photos, and reviews, so they learn to separate real risks from irrelevant minutiae.
Expanding search geography
About 60% of Avito Auto users search for a car in their home town or within a 60 mile radius. A third are willing to go twice as far, and 7% are considering distances of up to 600 miles. This flexibility is explained not only by a desire to save money but also by the uneven distribution of options: some models are available only in major cities.
Buyers who decide to search outside their region most often look at Moscow, St. Petersburg, Southern Russia and the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.
Distance used to be a major barrier, as buyers were wary of hidden defects. This fear is fading, says Avito Auto: VIN history check services and online bidding are making remote transactions almost standard.
Algorithms and sorting
Avito Auto algorithm ranks listings based on a combination of factors: price, seller activity, and completeness of information. So, there’s no random order: users see statistically “average” offers.
If a user saves filters and turns on notifications for new listings, the system will notify them when the desired option appears.
Now, according to Avito Auto, 80% of purchase decisions are made before a physical inspection of the car, which has become a final check, not a step in the selection process.
Buyers learn to act like analysts: they set criteria, verify data, and make decisions with a clear head, reducing the number of random transactions, Avito Auto concludes.
