As noted on the iii blog, the latest JD Powers study regarding US Insurance Shopping trends is out.
The big change since 2009 has been the continued adoption of the online channel in terms of shopping and issuance of insurance policies.
Most consumers leverage online capabilities such as quoting (predominantly for the direct players, versus those with an agency force) as they shop for better policies.
An increasing minority tends to rely solely on the online channel (eschewing call centers and physical agency locations) for their shopping and final purchase / issuance. Over time, such behavior is going to render traditional channels obsolete for commoditized insurance products such as Auto Insurance.
It has taken insurance companies over a decade to embrace the web as an effective channel for engagement and sales; the tide has finally turned and it seems that the next decade will be focused on engaging with consumers online to assist them with their risk needs in a more sophisticated manner.
