All the News | Strategy | Marketing | Technology | Profiles | Industry

PartsAmerica.com Delivers Physical Presence Over the Internet

Launched in September 2000, the PartsAmerica.com site, created by Integrated Information Systems (IIS), enhances the Internet shopping experience with live customer service assistance, online mechanical diagnosis and real-time inventory updates on more than 1 million products representing $1.4 billion in auto parts and accessories.

PartsAmerica.com faced the challenge of joining forces with two independent retailers, Advance Auto Parts and CSK Auto (NYSE: CAO), to leverage their brick and mortar assets in a manner that would provide traditional retail services online.

IIS approached this challenge by creating a supply chain integration system that permits customers to make a purchase over the Internet and physically "pick up" the order almost immediately in a nearby store from a PartsAmerica.com supplier. In the alternative, the customer can still opt for standard product shipping.

Presented with this option, it has been demonstrated that customers choose to visit a local store for picking up their Internet orders over 90 percent of the time and for returning or exchanging products 98 percent of the time.

"We were very impressed with the way that IIS handled the complexity of our e-business model," said John Morel, vice president of marketing at PartsAmerica.com. "These supply chain integration systems have resulted in improved customer relations and have ultimately increased PartsAmerica's bottom line."

Jim Garvey, IIS chairman, chief executive officer and president, said, "By tightly integrating two established brick and mortar retailers with significant inventory and fulfillment assets, combined with thousands of stores and multiple state-of-the-art distribution centers, PartsAmerica can recapture its existing investment in technology and nationwide facilities and, in turn, provide excellent service at a lower operating cost than any other competitor."

This business model is a prime example of the type of integration eRetailNews predicted in the Market Trends for 2001; "Pure Internet retailers will collaborate with traditional retailers to offer their customers more services, including the ability to return products locally."

By teaming up with partners having a strong offline presence, PartsAmerica.com has provided its customers within easy reach of a CSK Auto or Advance Auto Parts store with a significant advantage. It is easy to see how auto-parts buyers would want to get hold of their parts as soon as possible, especially if their prized auto is off the road!

Source:02/14/01 Integrated Information Systems

FREE NEWSLETTER, click here