General Motors says it's expanding an online car-buying program that could all-but-eliminate a need to shop in a dealership showroom.
Emphasizing that the dealer still must administer the sale -- which could be done outside the dealership -- GM says its Shop-Click-Drive setup is rolling out to all 4,300 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers in the U.S.. starting today.
Wary dealers who suspect the system is meant to undercut them, or limit their chances to apply salesmanship to in-person customers, don't have to offer the program. But a dealer committee helped design Shop-click-Drive and it's expected to become popular.
"You have all those millennials out there and they're used to buying stuff online and they don't understand, 'Why can't I buy a car online?'" says GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney.