The company has announced sales volumes for its Live Online sales channel for the first quarter of 2011, which show that a total of 477,000 bids were made between January and March 2011 – up 18% year on year – while 28,500 vehicles were sold to online bidders – a 9.2% increase year on year. This follows the launch of a new version of Live Online, with a multitude of improvements.

With 20% of all BCA sales purchased and processed online, the firm says that it is clear that trade buyers see this as a vital tool in saving them time and money to replenish stock.

BCA’s remarketing director D’Vidis Jacobs explained: 'In 2010 we saw online sales in the remarketing sector gain real traction to become an integral part of the sales programme for most volume sellers at BCA. And this trend has continued in the first three months of 2011. The immense flexibility of our online channels means our customers can sell and buy used vehicles 24/7, 365 days a year, without incurring travelling costs or missing out on good deals because they couldn’t get to an auction in person. 

'Online is set to continue to grow in importance for stock acquisition, helping retail dealers maximise profit from their used vehicle business, and we will be introducing further innovations in response to customer feedback through the rest of year, addressing the needs of buyers and sellers alike.'