Perspectives from the Automotive Aftermarket Frontlines: Executive Ecommerce Roundtable

eCommerce is in its early stages within the Automotive Aftermarket, an industry for which resilient demand, an entrenched enthusiast consumer base, and industry fragmentation are among key themes attracting increased investment.

In our exclusive roundtable, we polled industry executives to share insights on eCommerce channel expansion and how growing competition and the impacts of COVID, tariffs, and supply chain disruption are affecting the industry. Participants offer unique perspectives from businesses with diverse origins as digitally native brands and deeper histories in DTC eCommerce to those newer to the channel.

The universal message is that DTC eCommerce is seeing rapid growth, and the online purchasing shift is here to stay. Companies that keep ahead of consumer shopping trends and continue to invest in digital capabilities and product and service differentiation will be winners.

Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce: What Industry Leaders are Saying

“The expansion into DTC has been positive, but we are doing it while supporting our brick-and-mortar customers, which are critical because we want the ability to market to both the DIY and DIFM customers through our other channels.”

Scott Forst
CEO, AAMP Global

“I believe the way the market is today, and will continue to be, is having DTC capabilities is a price of entry. Whether you are a manufacturer or an importer or a distributor, if you don’t have a B2C presence, you are in for challenging times, COVID or not. COVID accelerated the channel shift.”

Ray Fundora
CEO, Daystar Products International

“As consumer buying preferences have changed over time to more of a direct model, manufacturers have to move in that direction. Those that aren’t willing to do that have lost share. Those that are willing to follow the consumer to deliver what they want in the manner that they want it have and will continue to gain brand value and share.”

Jeff King
CEO, Engineered Performance Technologies

We anticipate that the consumer changes of 2020 will have a lasting impact. To the extent that we accelerated the migration to digital shopping, that growth is here to stay. When consumers migrate to faster, more efficient, and more user-friendly shopping methods, they don’t tend to go back. It seems certain to me that the migration to eCommerce is a one-way road.”

Rich Spratt
CEO, Motis Brands