As an online retailer, you know how important it is to offer fast, affordable shipping. You’ve no doubt explored your options for keeping costs low while making consumers happy.
But have you ever thought to centre your entire business model around the promise of “crazy fast” shipping? Now that we live in an era when two-day and same-day deliveries have become commonplace, it would be a very bold move.
Yet that’s exactly what PartsHawk decided to do. And remarkably, it’s one of the best decisions the auto parts retailer has ever made.
“We launched PartsHawk.com with one simple concept: to make buying auto parts simple, fast and affordable,” the company’s website proclaims. “Then we built a distribution network that enables us to get parts in your hands with lightning speed.”
Here’s what makes that statement so remarkable: PartsHawk’s buyers have the same expectations as the modern-day empowered consumer. The majority of them won’t wait more than four days, max, for an order to arrive, and 24% expect same-day deliveries. Many will abandon shopping carts if shipping options aren’t satisfactory, and some go as far as cancelling an order they’ve already placed when they feel delivery is too slow.
Yet somehow, PartsHawk has managed to live up to its promises. The company has maintained a 99% feedback rating on eBay and 4.5 stars on Amazon, and continues to draw in new consumers all the time.
So… how did they do it? Let’s take a look.
Finding the right road to long-term success
PartsHawk relies on suppliers to help keep millions of replacement and performance parts in stock and ready to ship. It’s the kind of business model that depends heavily on integrations to maintain a steady flow data of accurate data between the company and its distributors. Missing even one update from a supplier could result in a loss of revenue if the products were erroneously marked as out of stock. So for a while, finding the right system for the job proved challenging.
There were other challenges, too.
The company was also in need of a way to expand its marketplace presence and launch new digital marketing strategies. Like most online sellers, PartsHawk realised its consumers were increasingly craving ease and convenience — the kind that can only be provided when the right technology solutions are put in place.
So the team did what many other brands are retailers are doing today: They set out in search of a solution that would complement their core business strategy. Specifically, they needed a management system that would empower them to continue down the road of “millions of parts” and “crazy fast shipping.”
For a while, it seemed like an impossibility. PartsHawk tried several different e-commerce marketplace management solutions but outgrew each new platform faster than the last. Then, right when it seemed like they might have to look down another road, they decided to try one last platform.
That was the one that worked.
Staying on track for future growth
It took some time to find the exact solution the company needed to meet its goals, but it was worth it:
- Within a year, revenue was on track to increase by 260%
- SKU assortment increased by 300%
- Sale increased by an astounding $6.5 million
More than any other factor, PartsHawk’s success can be attributed to the vision and determination of its leaders. They understand just how much opportunity e-commerce holds for the automotive industry, and refuse to stop innovating or searching for the perfect solutions.
Eager to discover how your company can achieve similar success? You’ll find plenty of inspiration in the full PartsHawk success story. For even more insights, watch the short video to see how other auto retailers are exceeding consumer expectation
