May 2019 Web-stores versus traditional parts distributors webinar

A phenomenon of recent years has been the growth of web-stores selling parts to end-customers, with a number of large and successful businesses setting up from scratch via start-up businesses.  Among the EU5 top web-stores, parts distributors have hardly any ranking.  Although initially many of these web-stores did not establish themselves to sell to professional repairers, several workshops have already started to use them.  A combination of the web-stores’ growth rate and the buying behaviour of some repairers has now resulted in the web-stores reaping the rewards of new revenue streams.  By targeting professional repairers, some web-stores are now adopting many of the skills of traditional parts distributors.

Reversely, traditional parts distributors are feeling the heat and wondering how to counter this onslaught when competition between parts distributors is already fierce.  Even the relatively small repairers enjoy a strong purchasing position as it is easier for them to shop around the multiple distributors.  But for many, the actual part’s price is not so vital, rated higher are availability, speed of delivery and additional support from the parts distributor.  So we question, is it necessary for parts distributors to enter the “online” battlefield or should they put more emphasis on targeting their current customer base? 

 This webinar will looked at the recent evaluation of web-stores and their marketing to try and find new revenue streams, and also in parallel we looked at how the parts distributors’ are fighting back.