11:43 am, August 7, 2009
E-COMMERCE can be a ‘lucrative profit centre’ for car dealers – yet just 16% are currently benefitting.
G-Forces reports that less than 2 in 10 car dealers have an online parts or accessory store, despite the high profit potential of parts sales.
The benefits of a 24/7 online store are clear, the firm says: significant extra parts income, from both independent garages as well as consumers.
Additional website ‘hits’ generate more telephone enquiries and walk-in visits, too. G-Forces reckons one car dealer reports a quadrupling of enquiries since they launched an online store.
Supplying online ecommerce ‘stores is a G-Forces speciality; a third of the UK’s top dealers using online stores have chosen the firm’s products.
‘Parts and accessories sales can be one of the most lucrative profit centres for retailers,’ said G-Forces director Tim Smith.
‘Yet UK dealers of all sizes – from major groups to solus independents – are failing to implement basic ecommerce platforms that would allow them to maximise online income.
‘It’s not just about increasing parts sales. Our customers have found that an engaging ecommerce site can facilitate cross-selling – for example, by generating leads for repair work when a customer enquires about purchasing parts online.’
Car dealers, he adds, ‘must wake up to the fact that they can no longer rely solely on face-to-face customer contact to maintain parts income.’
G-Forces offers an ecommerce solution called Tiger Commerce. Do you use it, or a similar product? If so, be sure to Car Dealer Magazine know if YOUR ecommerce strategy is paying dividends.
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