Digital dealers: is the online car sales revolution running out of road?

Sales model of disruptors such as Cazoo and Carvana fail to spark with buyers

Aston Villa versus Everton is not usually considered to be among the Premier League's biggest games, but it would probably have felt like a big deal to Alex Chesterman: both teams' shirts were emblazoned by Cazoo, the online used-car retailer founded by the serial entrepreneur.

The Cazoo derbies, both won by Villa this season, were the product of a marketing blitz, as the new company and its rivals raced to disrupt the secondhand car market. Yet Cazoo workers could think the money would have been better spent elsewhere: the company cut 750 jobs on Thursday as it warned a recession might delay its first profits.