The CitNOW Group, a UK-based global leader in digital communications for the automotive retail sector, has further expanded its international footprint with the acquisition of dealerdesk, a provider of enquiry management solutions based in Hamburg, Germany.

• CitNOW Group is a global market leader in digital communications in automotive retailing
• Partnership will see dealerdesk enhance its omnichannel customer experience
• New acquisition will facilitate new insights into inventory management and customer databases
• CitNOW Group’s latest addition is part of strategy to transform the automotive customer journey

This latest acquisition forms part of CitNOW Group’s strategy to expand the reach and capabilities of its product portfolio, supporting all elements of the customer journey – from initial sales enquiry through to ongoing ownership. The dealerdesk suite of communication and enquiry management products will enhance the CitNOW Group portfolio and help dealers further improve the effectiveness of their customer interactions.

Geoffrey Page-Morris, CEO of CitNOW Group, said: “We’re aware of the strong and growing reputation that dealerdesk has established in the German automotive market. By incorporating dealerdesk and its suite of products into the CitNOW Group family, we will enhance our collective proposition for retailers in Germany, helping them create seamless customer experiences while boosting profitability and retention.”

Soner Catakli, Managing Director at dealerdesk said: “Joining CitNOW Group will ensure we have the resources and capability to really accelerate the development of dealerdesk and its solutions. CitNOW Group was a natural choice to partner with as they are best placed to support our mission to digitise the dealer space in Europe. With the CitNOW Group, we can provide a product offering that spans the whole retail journey, from front-end customer interactions through to the back-end retailer systems.”

Since its inception, CitNOW Group has rapidly established itself as a global market leader, with over 13 million sales opportunities created, 60 million videos processed and over 10,000 dealer installations across 64 countries. It currently has the highest penetration of any software provider in the UK motor retail sector, with approximately 75% of franchised dealerships using at least one of its products.

Driven by a vision to transform the way the automotive world communicates, the CitNOW Group wants to unite the retailer and customer through technology. To achieve this the Group is building a global portfolio of businesses which currently include AutoSLM, Auto Imaging, CitNOW, Dealerweb, dealerdesk, Quik, Reef, REALtime Communications, Tootle, Web1on1.