Cox Automotive Redefines Omnichannel Platform Enabling Complete Digital Car Buying Across Any Channel

Breakthrough e-commerce technology powers full online transactions on client sites and third-party marketplaces simultaneously

ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive, the global leader in automotive technology and services, today announced it has built the automotive industry's first true omnichannel digital retailing platform that enables complete vehicle purchases across multiple digital channels simultaneously. The platform allows automotive sellers to offer full e-commerce capabilities on their own websites and integrates seamlessly in-store, while also enabling direct purchase of their inventory through Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, a breakthrough no other provider has achieved. Cox Automotive's latest digital retailing tools deliver a frictionless buying journey, from browsing to purchase, with integrated financing, trade-in valuations, and digital contracting.

According to Cox Automotive's 2025 Digitization of Car Buying Study, 65% of car buyers perform some or all the process online. Having this omnichannel selling approach will be critical to maintaining sales volumes and market share as record high new vehicle prices, limited affordability and tightening used-car supply threaten to throttle consumer demand.

"We've built the omnichannel platform the automotive industry has been waiting for," said Jessica Stafford, senior vice president, consumer solutions, Cox Automotive. "This isn't website software or a marketplace listing service, it's a true e-commerce platform that handles the complexity of the entire car buying transaction across every digital touchpoint and in-store. As the only company that owns both the technology platform and the marketplaces, Cox Automotive can deliver seamless automotive retailing everywhere consumers want to shop."

The Cox Automotive platform represents a fundamental shift from bolt-on tools to comprehensive digital retail technology. Unlike solutions that simply add online features to existing systems, Cox Automotive has built an e-commerce engine that powers complete transactions—pricing, financing, trade-ins, and final purchase—whether customers shop on a client's branded site or through Cox Automotive's marketplaces.

Platform in Action: Transforming Retail
Major automotive retailers are leveraging Cox Automotive's omnichannel platform to compete as digital retailers. Hertz, one of several enterprise implementations, now offers complete online purchasing at HertzCarSales.com and through Autotrader.com, all powered by Cox Automotive's unified infrastructure.

"Cox Automotive enables us to deliver on our promise of making car buying easier, whether customers shop on our website, at our Hertz Car Sales locations, or through partner channels," said Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales. "Their technology creates a consistent, transparent experience while their operational infrastructure ensures we can scale efficiently."

With thousands of vehicles priced under $20,000—and many under $15,000—Hertz Car Sales is expanding consumer access to quality used vehicles while streamlining the purchase process with help from Cox Automotive's advanced resources.  

For more information about Cox Automotive's e-commerce platform, visit coxautoinc.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, vAuto®, Dealertrack^®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch^® and FleetNet America^®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Cox Automotive