Chris Davenport is the embodiment of the all-American self-starter. As a self-taught serial entrepreneur, his first year of business saw him grow a company started in his garage to an eCommerce heavyweight that took over $2,000,000 in sales. Seven years later, he is preparing to launch the world's first multi-vendor marketplace that gives automotive parts manufacturers the ability to sell directly to consumers.
We recently caught up with Chris to chat about his newest eCommerce marketplace, Autoparts4less.com and his strategy to stand out in an industry crowded with big-name companies including Amazon Automotive, eBay, and Walmart.
Chris explained how the current problems with automotive parts eCommerce marketplaces are driving change: “For automotive parts sellers and buyers right now the journey is very dysfunctional, it’s very disjointed. As a seller, you're trying to sell everywhere and trying to get your product in front of everybody. There’s a substantial learning curve when it comes to eCommerce tools with companies like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay so we’re creating a simplified process for sellers at an extremely attractive price point.”
Amazon’s complicated barriers to entry and high fees are two common complaints amongst sellers, and with some fees scheduled to rise from June 2021, parts suppliers are looking for new cost-effective ways to connect and sell directly to their customers — a trend stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the automotive parts industry.
“That's really an interesting story that COVID-19 has created,” Chris said. “Manufacturers would’ve never have gone around their dealers — they would have never risked that, but now the manufacturers are selling direct. It’s a really big differentiator, so we want to be in front and help manufacturers sell more. What’s been interesting is to see how businesses that were already geared towards using some kind of platform, for example, the food industry. Restaurants were fortunate that they were already using Grub Hub, using some sort of food delivery system. They went up, even though their restaurants were partially closed, and you couldn’t sit inside, they went up. Companies that were already engaging with a digital platform were able to stay in business.”
Another trend that could see significant growth in 2022 and give Autoparts4less a distinct advantage over other eCommerce marketplaces is the option for consumers to select their parts installed at checkout.
“The other big thing that people are talking about — and I’m telling you this is coming — is getting your parts installed (as part of the buying process). Whether you get it installed at your house, which is really becoming an interesting trend, or getting it installed at an install center, I’m seeing heavy investment by some of these as larger players to offer installation services as part of the purchase. If we're going to be relevant, we have to offer some kind of installation program as part of our platform at Autoparts4less. Manufacturers who already have an installation network will be able to use their network on our platform, but we’re adding it as a feature as well. That’s going to be a huge differentiator in the future. We’re planning to offer installation at checkout to reduce friction for the buyer. So they can do it themselves, or, hey, if there’s a shop in your area and you want to get it installed you can prepay for your installation service.”
Parts suppliers can register now, ahead of the launch of the Autoparts4less marketplace in the summer of 2021. All sellers need to be vetted and approved to prevent counterfeits from being sold as genuine parts — a problem that some larger online automotive marketplaces are struggling to quash.
