Amazon has its eye on the car market in next step toward world domination
Between Amazon's blitz into the grocery market and its fashion aspirations, you might have missed the shopping juggernaut's entry into the auto world. Car retailers certainly haven't. The company has already built a sizable business selling vehicle parts online, and it could have its sights set on auto services and even car sales down the road. Like most of Amazon's plans, this is no small ambition. Cars and their maintenance are a bigger cash sink for the average American household than even groceries, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While online sales still make up a comparatively small share of the overall auto parts market, they're growing at a much faster clip than traditional channels with a 16 percent expansion predicted this year, according to market research firm Hedges & Company. Earlier this year, the New York Postreported that Amazon struck deals with a host of new auto parts vendors to expand its business. Big chain auto shops may already be feeling the squeeze. Some analysts pointed an accusatory finger at the company earlier this month when companies like AutoZone and O'Reilly reported an abysmal sales quarter, though others blamed the weather. Nicholas Farhi, an automotive services consultant at strategy firm OC&C, thinks car repair could be Amazon's next move. The company has already begun to offer various standard installations and fixes through its larger home and business service arm. "Amazon is likely to enter into car services—annual maintenance, broken windshields, replacement tires, etc.—before sales of the car itself," Farhi said in an email. "The consumer experience of buying automotive services is a mess, and the suppliers are fragmented." The value that Amazon can provide is clear. Order a car battery replacement through the page and Amazon will simply send someone to your home to take care of it, provided your zip code is in the company's coverage area. There's also the option of taking it into a partner store. Battery replacement services have a 92 percent five-star rating on Amazon. Amazon's role in this space would get even bigger if Alexa gets involved. Using the voice assistant to set up car appointments with a simple verbal instruction would give Amazon a lot of power with the companies and people who provide those services, Farhi said. "The role of Alexa in this is interesting because the voice interface hands huge power to Amazon in selecting the supplier," he said. "When you say: 'Alexa, book my car in for a service,' Amazon can decide the optimum location, price, time, etc." That sort of integration may be a boon for big car shops that are organized and savvy enough to keep their availability electronically updated, Farhi said. But it may conversely hurt local mom and pop shops. In any case, the company is already beginning to turn heads in the industry. "These days, whenever I meet with car industry executives, I invariably get asked this one question 'So, what is Amazon’s strategy in automotive?'" auto consultant Sarwant Singh wrote in a Forbescolumn last week. Is there any consumer industry not asking that question these days?
Featured Video For You
Lucid Air, Tesla's new rival, can hit an impressive speed of 235 mph
相关推荐
-
Discover Secret Swimming Holes and Hidden History in Crystal River, Florida
-
Verstappen wins season
-
Kitayama seals maiden PGA Tour win at Bay Hill
-
Teen makes a terrible, terrible mistake in letting friend choose her first tattoo
-
Black Friday GPU Buying Guide: November GPU Pricing Update
-
How to watch Apple's WWDC 2019 keynote live
- 最近发表
-
- NASA rover snaps photo of its most daunting challenge yet
- Sprint to start selling 5G version of LG V50 on May 31
- Dell's new XPS 13 2
- N. Korea holds cabinet plenary meeting to discuss economic plans
- 应对高温 户外驿站送清凉
- Osimhen dreams of playing in Premier League
- 广汽集团:在粤黔东西部协作中勇挑粤企担当
- Teen makes a terrible, terrible mistake in letting friend choose her first tattoo
- Yoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threats
- Qatar spied on Swiss prosecutor probing FIFA: report
- 随机阅读
-
- Best smart home deals this week at Amazon
- Mbappe targets ‘more history’ at PSG
- 今年公安机关将深入打击违法犯罪
- Conservative opposition whip calls for bipartisan security policy panel
- Is Mercury retrograde messing with you? Think again.
- Obama surprises YouTube music twins as they listen to his new playlist
- Facebook exec's defense of the 'drunk Pelosi' video doesn't add up
- 今年公安机关将深入打击违法犯罪
- NCT member Taeil leaves band over sexual offense allegations
- 骑上咱的自行车 宣传低碳迎新年
- Deloitte's CEO gave her 15
- US Department of Energy reports first
- 多措并举优治理 绘就幸福新图景
- US voices concerns over NK support for Russia prolonging war in Ukraine
- North Korea reopening borders to Russian tourists for first time since pandemic
- 赏荷摘李品美食,吃喝玩乐在龙坪
- 尝“鲜”盛宴,等你来探!2024年清远西牛麻竹笋尝鲜季即将启幕
- Google adds food delivery to Maps and search results
- Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells Masters: organizers
- Rudy Giuliani's hair dye streaked down his face in bizarre press conference moment
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-