Click-and-Repair: What You Need to Know about the Online Auto Parts Market after Service Advisor Training
The auto parts industry in Canada covers a wide range of the components and accessories a car needs to run well and look good, from engine pumps, batteries, thermostats, and brake fluid, among many others. The rise of the online marketplace, however, has changed how consumers are buying these parts, and has introduced a new aspect of automotive sales known as e-commerce, where shoppers go online to find and purchase the items they want.
Automotive parts recently made up over $850 million of retail sales in the Canadian economy. In the same Statistics Canada report, there was a 1.6% per cent rise in e-commerce sales from the previous year. While that may not seem like much, it shows that consumers are taking a significant step towards using the online marketplace.
Although there will always be a demand for new parts, replacements, and upgrades in the automotive field as cars grow older and new models are released, it is still important to respond to the growing presence of e-commerce, and understand what it means for retail sales in the automotive industry.
If you’re interested in becoming a service advisor, read on to find out what you should know about e-commerce and auto parts, as well as what the future might have in store for your career.
Service Advisor Training Can Help You Adapt to an Online Marketplace
Before the rise of technology, the primary way to purchase automotive parts was to visit a store in person. It can be hard to adjust to the idea of a new, digital marketplace, but staying innovative and updated on the trends affecting your industry can help prepare you for a successful career as a service advisor.
E-commerce sales of automotive parts are predicted to exceed $15 billion USD in the coming years. This promising outlook indicates that e-commerce will become a significant area of automotive retail sales, but that doesn’t mean your shop has to go fully online to reap the benefits.
Traditional automotive retailers can use a click-and-mortar business model, where their operations are still based in a physical location or store, but they also offer products online through a website. Service advisor training covers the proper procedures and methods you will use to manage a repair or maintenance service, and this includes knowing what work a customer needs done to fix their vehicle, as well as an understanding of the common, in-demand parts and accessories you may see in your shop and on the market. Offering these products through your shop’s click-and-mortar website opens your business to retail sales in physical locations, and also allows you to provide more products to more online customers, helping you further adapt to the growing presence of the online marketplace.
E-Commerce Gives Automotive Service Advisors Many Retail Options
E-commerce is a popular preference among consumers because it provides them with a retail option that offers affordable prices, ease of purchase, and shopper convenience. Where buyers once had to travel to purchase the items they wanted, they can now do it from the comfort of their own homes.
In terms of selling automotive parts online, your options certainly aren’t limited, whether you choose to use a click-and-mortar model, buy and sell through third-party retailers, or take your business fully online. The primary benefit of participating in e-commerce is that it allows you to be more flexible with how you offer your automotive parts and accessories to consumers, a primary duty for graduates of automotive service advisor training.
It may seem intimidating to adapt to a digital marketplace, but the growth of online sales and digital influence are hard for an automotive business to ignore, and offering a better online experience can help you win over new customers and keep regulars coming back to your store—both online, and in person.
Do you want to start a new and exciting career in the automotive industry?
Contact Automotive Training Centres for more information about our service advisor courses.
