Software for selling car parts online
Selling car parts resembles no other trade. The customer does not look for a product by name, but by the vehicle being repaired or by the number copied off the old part. The same part exists under the vehicle manufacturer's number and under several aftermarket numbers, and all of them have to lead to the same item in your catalogue.
That is why catalogues in this trade quickly grow past several tens of thousands of items. Off-the-shelf platforms start to choke at that size, and a search that does not understand part numbers sends the customer to the phone - which removes the reason to run an online store at all.
{ Where the problem starts }
Obstacles specific to selling car parts
The customer searches by number, not by name
A mechanic types the part number off the old plate, or picks make, model and engine. A search that only looks at the product name returns nothing for such a query, so the customer leaves for a competitor who recognised that number.
One part, several numbers
The vehicle manufacturer's original number and the aftermarket numbers denote the same part. If every number lives as a separate item, stock is wrong and the customer sees that you do not have a part you actually hold.
Availability changes during the day
You work with suppliers whose stock drops hour by hour. An order taken against yesterday's figures means a call to the customer and an apology, and that is the most expensive way to lose a regular.
The same item from several suppliers at different prices
When three suppliers offer the same part, comparing by hand is not feasible across thousands of items. Without a rule that picks the source on its own, you buy at a worse price than you have to.
Returns because the part does not fit the vehicle
A part that does not seat comes back at your expense. Every such return costs warehouse time and margin, and the cause is most often insufficient data on the item.
{ What the platform solves }
An answer to each of those obstacles
Search by part number and by vehicle
The search field recognises part numbers in different notations, with spaces and dashes or without them. Alongside it comes selection by make, model and engine, so the customer reaches the part either way.
Cross-reference numbers tied to the same item
Every item carries a list of aftermarket and original numbers. A search by any of them leads to the same product, with one stock figure and one price.
Synchronisation with supplier priority
A rule picks the supplier by price or by availability, automatically on every import. Items no longer held by any supplier are pulled from the site without your intervention.
Documentation and data with the part
Dimensions, fitting position, datasheet and images cut the number of wrong orders. For items that arrive from a feed without a description, the description is filled in automatically.
Linked and recommended items
The sensor is offered with the brake pads, the oil with the filter. That lifts basket value without a single extra call to the customer.
Terms we use
So there are no misunderstandings in the first meeting, here is what we mean by the terms that come up most often in this industry.
Original number
The number the vehicle manufacturer assigns to the part. The most reliable way to identify a part unambiguously, and the most common way a customer looks for it.
Cross-reference number
A table linking original and aftermarket numbers. The basis of search by number, because the customer often enters a competitor's designation.
Vehicle applicability
The list of vehicles the part fits, by make, model, year and engine. The single piece of data that reduces returns the most.
Supplier priority
The rule deciding which supplier an item is taken from when several offer it - by lower price or by availability.
Common questions from this industry
Can the customer search by part number?
Yes. Search recognises numbers in different notations, with spaces and dashes or without them, and finds the item even when an aftermarket designation from another manufacturer has been entered.
How are cross-reference numbers entered for thousands of items?
By import from an Excel or CSV table, in a single pass. Numbers are tied to existing items by their code, so you do not have to enter them one by one.
Does it work with our existing supplier?
If the supplier provides a price list in XML, JSON or CSV format, a connection is possible. Field mapping is set up once, after which synchronisation runs on the schedule you define.
What happens to a part that disappears from the supplier's stock?
At the next synchronisation it is automatically removed from sale or marked unavailable, depending on the rule you set. The customer cannot order what you cannot deliver.
Does the platform suit a catalogue of several tens of thousands of parts?
Yes. We build the solution for catalogues from 1000 items upwards, and in this trade the number is usually far higher. Search speed does not change as the catalogue grows.
Do you have a catalogue of 1000 items or more?
For a first estimate we need the number of items, your suppliers and the system you use today. The call takes fifteen minutes, after which you get scope, price and timeline.