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wolk after sales experts
03.07.2015
00119955
Foreword
The so-called Internet age is by now 20 years old already. Still, its importance as a sales channel started off only with the growing popularity of eBay in
Germany. The car parts trade has been represented to a greater extent since 2002. It has become a mass phenomenon only in the last years, so that the sales
of car components (mechanicals parts, tires, accessories, chemicals) through the Internet now amount to an estimated total of more than two billion Euros. Still
today, the e-commerce segment shows double digit growth rates and is not nearly saturated yet. It can also be observed that now the first dominant players
begin to evolve. They can already generate profit of a range similar to some of the classical parts dealers.
The two major marketplaces, eBay and Amazon, have been shaping the market and will keep it in motion in the future. eBay Motors, for example, has an
estimated total turnover of approximately 980 million Euros generated with car parts and accessories. With the integration of maintenance and repair services
eBay targets entirely new customer groups. In the segment of car parts, Amazon is still lagging far behind. However, the company is growing at a rapid pace, so
that means another big player will evolve in a not too distant future, that knows how to meet the customers
´
needs concerning convenience and satisfaction.
Via this new sales channel, completely new or small and unknown competitors have been able to enter the market and achieve profits that range in dimensions
that were up to then only attributed to the big players. Of course, the established parts wholesalers are active, too, but they do not wish to focus on their
renowned brands. Unfortunately, we don't have any official or validated information that could allow an overview on such affiliations.
Most of all, chains with an internal branch system have the enormous potential to interlink their online trading activities with the offline system in a lucrative
way. It is therefore time to keep an eye on the e-commerce market as a sales channel and to describe it - just like our experts at Wolk after sales have been
evaluating the entire automotive aftermarket for many years. This report aims at representing and describing the biggest players in the German online market
and at systematically classifying. This gives interested readers access to a good overview of this market segment and helps to reach more transparency.
As the exact sales figures are almost inaccessible, several determinants and aspects were included to guarantee a valid assessment here. The quoted sales
figures are therefore to be treated with caution and care. We have therefore deliberately refrained from overloading this report with too many figures on
market volumes concerning individual product groups. Nevertheless, our tools can help answering your questions as to market volume of individual products
and product groups that are realised online. I keep an open mind for your comments, questions and suggestions and I am looking forward to exchanging with
you personally.
Antti Wolk
Wolk after sales experts GmbH
