While it may seem like Amazon has been around forever, it has only been in existence for 30 years. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Amazon launched in 1995 as an online bookstore based in a garage. It hardly seems like enough time to leave major merchandisers like Sears Roebuck or Circuit City in its wake. Fast forward to the dawn of 2026, Amazon has gone way beyond an online bookstore and is a leading distributor of literally everything under the sun, including now as it flexes its full muscle aimed at taking over the independent aftermarket. However, this does not spell the end for the independent distributor who still dominates the DIFM/commercial channel of distribution for multiple reasons.
The Irreplaceable Value of People
The biggest reason the independent distributor will still find opportunity and success in an Amazon world is simply the people. Amazon's rise in the retail space largely revolves around consumer products. These consumer products can come from multiple industries, ranging from the previously mentioned book world to pet products, hardware, and many others, including the motor vehicle aftermarket. These are often mindless transactions for the same types of products we purchase over and over. What they do not involve is a strong personal connection.
Certified technicians are the absolute best at doing what they do, and that is getting cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles back on the road and America moving forward. They may not be the best at looking up parts, determining how to best order parts, or how many parts may be needed for a job. Even in an AI world driven by technology, people are still required to fix the vehicles, and those people depend on people to make sure they have the right part, in the right place, at the right time.
Technicians will not compromise their reputation, and they will remain loyal to the people who believe in their reputation and have a desire to protect it as much as they do. Transactions across the board, even business-to-business transactions, are using less human contact. That said, people are still involved. Take a parts driver who knows that when he is delivering a particular gasket kit, or a special timing set, there may be something that does not show up on the screen or in the 'recommended purchases' field, but there is something needed that is missing from the order. More often than not, with an independent distributor, that parts driver will pick up the phone and call the customer to clarify, leading to quicker and more accurate deliveries with less downtime waiting for components that you could have received in one order that now takes multiple orders.
Speed and Accuracy: The Local Advantage
Aside from people and personal expertise, there is also the element of time. Too often, we can try and boil this down to delivery time. If a shop orders parts for a repair, are they going to show up in minutes to hours, or is it going to be at least a day or two? Amazon warehouses are dotting the American landscape at an alarming rate – but outside of high-moving part numbers, they are not going to have everything ready to ship and arrive on the same day outside of major metropolitan areas. So not only would the shop be waiting an extended period of time over their local distributor, if the wrong part is ordered or shows up, there is an even longer wait for the purchase to be made right, and that is not even including the returns processing. Anytime you buy the wrong size shoes or the wrong brand of kitchen utensil, you can simply file your return on the Amazon site and drop it off at any Kohl's location. That is pretty convenient until you are dealing with vehicle components and the inconvenience with which a return is processed, especially when there is no person to talk to and walk through the complexities.
A Relationship-Based Business Endures
Amazon will continue to grow and solidify its position at the top of the retail/distribution food chain, but it will not be at the expense of the independent distributor. Shop supplies, towels, soaps and hand cleaners, light bulbs, batteries, and many other products used in the daily running of a vehicle repair facility will continue to move more towards Amazon for several different reasons. However, when it comes to procuring that hard-to-find or complex component, nothing can replace the safety and security of trusting the people who have not let you down your entire career. The independent distributor knows their customers, and their customers know them — this is still a relationship business, and some relationships can't be replaced by AI or technology.
