e-Retailing in the European Automotive Aftermarket
NEW YORK, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
e-Retailing in the European Automotive Aftermarket
Online sales have increased rapidly in recent years, fueled by web-enabled devices, improved payment methods, broadband connectivity, and improvements in online retail offerings. The past few years have seen major retailers increasingly taking advantage of the channel, using it as a cost-effective platform to enter new countries and to boost sales and brand penetration in existing markets.Develop entry strategies for the online market, by learning of the most successful strategies that competitors have chosen and have been implemented.Improve online activities and boost revenue, by gaining insight into what consumers expect from a transactional website and online delivery options.Make decisions about your online products and service proposition, by uncovering how companies have diversified when using the internet for sales.Establish which products fit with your existing online portfolio, by studying the strategies of Europe's most successful online aftermarket retailers.Seize the gaps in the online market, by establishing what your competitors' online activities are, and where they are not active.The development of online services within the economies of developed and emerging countries points to a fundamental transformation of the aftermarket industry, where existing and new web platforms will become increasingly prominent.Aftermarket companies should expect to see the following developments online: Product diversification by specialist retailers; Spread of service concepts using the co-operative network strategy; Cross-fertilization of aftermarket channels; Officially endorsed aftermarket channels for vehicle manufacturers.Which countries have the highest penetration of Internet users?Which of your competitors or competitive distribution channels have no transactional websites in place?In which products should you consider diversification via an online medium?Where are the opportunities for you company in developing an online strategy?Who are the pureplay e-retailers and how are they succeeding?
OVERVIEW
•About the series
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
•Main findings
ONLINE RETAIL STRATEGIC CONTEXT
•There are a number of key motivations for opening online stores
- Global Internet usage is growing rapidly, although Spain and Italy are lagging behind northwestern Europe
- Northwestern European countries show the highest broadband subscriber rate, but southern Europe is catching up
- Attitudes to shopping online and online payment are changing, which is fueling the growth of online stores
•There are a number of strategic and operational considerations when developing online
- Having an existing retail presence demonstrates sufficient demand for an online sales platform
- Legislation plays an important role when deciding which markets to target
- A non-transactional website provides a suitable platform from which to trade in a new market
- Retailers can enter other channels to complement their online stores
- Innovative delivery and collection services are increasingly expected
- Payment methods and types of cards used vary globally and are key considerations before market entry
- Retailers need to consider investment in a site's core functions and display to attract shoppers
- Currency is a growing consideration for retailers, but is largely left unaltered by many
- The lack of direct customer interaction makes customer service an extremely important function
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE RISE OF THE ONLINE MEDIUM IN THE EUROPEAN AFTERMARKET
•Domination of the online medium by pureplay e-retailers poses a threat to traditional automotive aftermarket players
•Manufacturers and traditional aftermarket players are seeing their supply chains fundamentally altered
•Low barriers to entry create a competitive environment
RETAILER COMPARISONS FOR SELECTED MARKETS
•Most auto and fast fit centers have no transactional website in place
•Hypermarkets' automotive product ranges are limited to accessories
•None of the featured tire specialists has a transactional website in place despite strong competition from online tire e-retailers
•Some wholesalers offer online portals to commercial customers
•Pureplay e-retailers' offerings mainly concentrate on tires
•Most vehicle manufacturers have no online sales channel
•Online sales of tires are dominated by pureplay e-retailers
•Summary of delivery times and charges for online sales channels in the automotive aftermarket
STRATEGY IN FOCUS: E-RETAIL IN THE AFTERMARKET
•Pureplay e-retailers
- Delticom
- Pneus Online
- Oscaro
- etyres
- Black Circles (and Tesco Tyres)
- eBay BMW Direct
- Autobulbs Direct
- Other online car services
STRATEGIC ACTION POINTS
•Traditional aftermarket channels have to develop their online offerings
- Aftermarket companies should further develop their online presence to take advantage of general commercial trends
•Online services should support physical infrastructure
- Create an online presence in markets with physical outlets
- Develop a non-transactional web presence with as much detail as possible if a transactional site is not feasible
- Provide information on the non-transactional site as to the range of services
•Operational – localize websites and operations as much as possible
- Ensure website navigation is as intuitive as possible
- Localization should be a core strategy for all functions on a transactional website
- Flexible returns options are equally as important as delivery options
- Encourage staff to promote the online store
•Payment and delivery – demonstrate cultural awareness in all payment and delivery options
- Be flexible in terms of delivery destinations
- Minimize the number of clicks from product choice through to close of sale
- Accept alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery
- Offer flexible delivery options to maximize customer convenience and reduce missed delivery dates
- Choose a logistical service provider that will meet your brand's values and your customers' expectations
- Integrate your delivery service with your customer relationship management systems
•Marketing – public relations has become an important step before entering a new market
- Make promotional banners visible online
- Invest in public relations and marketing in crowded markets
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
•How will the aftermarket be shaped by trends in e-retail and online platforms?
APPENDIX
•Abbreviations
•Methodology
- Retailer information
- Internet access and broadband data
- Data on Internet purchasing behavior
•Ask the analyst
•Datamonitor's Global Automotive Proposition
- Component Insight reports
- Channel Insight reports
- Strategic Insight reports
- Consumer Insight reports
- Databases
•Disclaimer
TABLES
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, autocenters
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, fast fit centers
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, hypermarkets
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, tire specialists
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, wholesalers
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, pureplay retailers
•Table: Online transactional presence – aftermarket channels, vehicle manufacturers
FIGURES
•Figure: Global Internet usage, by country, 2009
•Figure: Global broadband subscriptions, by country, 2009
•Figure: Proportion of consumers that shopped online at least once in 2009
•Figure: Main reasons why customers have never made online purchases
•Figure: Proportion of consumers stating concern about fraud as a reason for not shopping online, by country, 2009
•Figure: Payment methods as a share of online transaction values, by country, 2009
•Figure: Some key legislative considerations for online retailers
•Figure: A Kiala collection point instore
•Figure: Pneus Online offers multiple language options on its main site as well as links to individual country websites
•Figure: Displaying of social media links by aftermarket companies (Norauto example)
•Figure: eBay BMW Direct site
•Figure: Wholesaler online portal for commercial customers (Trost example)
•Figure: Amazon hosts car parts online company carparts-discount (UK example)
•Figure: Porter's Five Forces Model applied to the automotive aftermarket
•Figure: Autocenter range of delivery options (Feu Vert France example)
•Figure: Fast fit mobile fitting option (Kwik Fit example)
•Figure: Tesco Tyres/Black Circles venture
•Figure: Euromaster offers a battery service
•Figure: Example of a vehicle manufacturer offering price information but directing customers to dealer (Mitsubishi Accessories)
•Figure: Physical store and online store presence for tire sales, 2012
•Figure: Indicative comparative costs and fulfillment times for delivery by selected automotive aftermarket companies, 2012
•Figure: Example of Delticom's discounted prices (Germany)
•Figure: Example of Pneus Online search function (UK)
•Figure: Example of Pneus Online tire comparison function (UK)
•Figure: Example of Oscaro promotions (France example)
•Figure: Example of etyres price comparison
•Figure: Black Circles offers car servicing
•Figure: Black Circles offers a fitting service with realtime slots shown on its website
•Figure: eBay BMW Direct site
•Figure: Autobulbs Direct price comparison tool
•Figure: Tuning service (Demon Tweeks UK example)
•Figure: Example of a Tesco product with added customer reviews
•Figure: Example of prominent advertising on Autobulbs Direct website
•Figure: Use of social media by aftermarket industry (Renault example)
Companies mentioned
CMS Energy Corporation, Hutchison 3G UK Limited, La Poste, Mobivia Groupe, Renault SA, Rentokil Initial plc, Yodel
To order this report:
Automotive Industry: e-Retailing in the European Automotive Aftermarket
Check our Industry Analysis and Insights
CONTACT:
Nicolas Bombourg
Reportlinker
Email: [email protected]
US: (805)652-2626
Intl: +1 805-652-2626
SOURCE Reportlinker
Share this article