aftermarket replacement parts | Auto parts online, the new business for the aftermarket passes from e-Commerce

Auto parts online, the new business for the aftermarket passes from e-Commerce






More and more Italians buy components, accessories and car tires on the web at favorable prices. A business in constant growth that risks eroding the revenues of workshops and specialized shops whose only path is to invest in e-commerce. Where to attract users are: low costs and detailed information on the characteristics of the products on sale
Car maintenance costs are growing and to reduce costs, motorists use the web to find spare parts at favorable prices. On the net occasions are within a click, but moving in the sea magnum of offers involves the risk, especially for those inexperienced, to conclude a bad deal. In Italy there are 14 million Italians who bought auto parts online in 2015. This is a growing figure that will bring more and more car dealers and spare parts dealers to move their business from the only garage or shop to the world of e-Commerce. With the goal of intercepting on the one hand the growing demand on the Internet, and on the other hand, guaranteeing users the security of buying products - original or compatible - suitable for their vehicle. The automotive spare parts market in Italy is worth 12.6 billion euros. A deal divided between the Independent aftermarket manufacturers (IAM) - which manage about 70% of the distribution - and the operators of the Oes (Original equipment services) channel. A business that has begun to whet the appetites also of the car manufacturers, with their OEMs, ready to sit down to this inviting table that, until now, have looked marginally.

Online sales of auto parts
Analyzing the online sales related to the aftermarket sector, it is noted that, according to a research carried out by Ipsos on behalf of the well-known eBay marketplace, web shoppers in Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain are increasingly loyal to e-Commerce for the choices of their auto parts. The reason that pushes them to opt for the do-it-yourself, rather than to turn to specialized repairers or authorized workshops, is an economic one with a saving that exceeds an average of 20%. In fact, 70% of the interviewed sample pointed out that by browsing the web it is possible to find lower prices than those charged on the official network or spare parts stores. The most clicked products are windshield wipers, light bulbs, batteries, mirrors and spark plugs to which the tires are joined, which, according to the research, with about 17 rubber trains sold every hour have long entered the online shopping panel. The growth in the purchase volumes of car spare parts and accessories via the Internet raises a question about the dangers that may lie on the web, especially for inexperienced consumers.
The risks, according to the trade associations and the information sites specialized in the aftermarket, range from the purchase of a defective component to one that is not suitable for one's car or motorcycle up to a counterfeit spare part. The problem in this case is that in addition to the bad affair the driver would find himself paying more the auto-repairman's work in case of damage that an imperfect replacement, if mounted, could cause. Therefore, the advice is to contact an experienced retailer. But thinking of stopping purchases of auto parts online, bringing customers to buy exclusively in the workshop or in specific shops, using these motivations is impossible. The business of e-commerce is developing more and more and considering that users, thanks to the web, have a wide range of products and services combined with the advantages of saving time and money, hardly the option of physical point of sale it will be the only choice again. Moving the web, therefore, a part of their business appears to be the best strategy if you want to survive in the age of 4.0 and be able to optimize your profits. Revenues that for car repairers and specialized shops will not only come from the number of items sold online at advantageous prices, but also and above all from the quality of the information they will be able to provide on their sites regarding the characteristics of the articles to direct the consumer to buy . In fact, again according to Ipsos, another factor that drives the purchase of auto parts online is the possibility for the user to compare the products on sale of different brands, with the help of valuable reviews.

E-Commerce as an opportunity for the aftermarket
Compared to other business sectors where e-Commerce is slowly pulverizing the physical store to the advantage of the virtual one, in the case of spare parts, things are different. In fact, in the aftermarket sector the difference is that a motorist will in any case need, once he has bought a spare part, an expert who knows how to assemble it and therefore a workshop. The web, therefore, should be understood, for the operators of this field, as an opportunity to increase their earnings as transactions are increasingly processed electronically. Also for Frost & Sullivan, online commerce will assume a greater weight in the future, with an annual compound growth rate (Cagr) that in Europe will go from 10 to 15% in the western part and from 15 to 30% in the eastern part. In this race to grab the widest slice of the aftermarket, a cake that for GiPa Italia is worth 440 billion euros and that it is estimated could reach 640 by 2020, there are both the IAM and the OEMs. For the former, competitiveness passes from the ability to invest in innovation and training, given the rapid technological changes in the automotive sector. For OEMs, however, the possibility of increasing their business lies in knowing how to offer more value to car owners. But in this case, it is necessary for them to learn to emulate some of the key features of the independent market: a faster and unmatched service for their customers, a greater presence in online retail sales and the transformation of mono-brand dealerships. in workshops that can also accommodate cars of different brands.