Online auto parts sales are projected to bring in over $182 billion by 2026 in the US alone. Automotive eCommerce accounts for nearly seven percent of all online retail sales, but it’s predicted to become one of the top three shopping categories by 2027.
It might not sound like the sexiest category, but opening an automotive eCommerce store is a smart and profitable choice that positions you in the growing automotive parts industry.
It’s never been easier to sell auto parts for a profit, but you need the right automotive eCommerce platform to get your business off the ground.
SaaS platforms for auto parts and auto parts eCommerce platforms are pretty common, so what’s the right option for your business?
In this guide, we’ll break down the top automotive eCommerce platforms for inventory management, product data management, vehicle fitment, and much more.
You need automotive eCommerce solutions with the right mix of functionality, flexibility, and technical support.
Let’s explore the most common eCommerce platforms you can retrofit to sell auto parts online and create a successful eCommerce business.
BigCommerce is the best eCommerce platform for auto parts sellers. Its intuitive drag-and-drop builder is great for beginners, but it’s still powerful enough to manage large catalogs and complex vehicle fitment information. This makes it simple for customers to easily find the right car parts for their vehicles — helping you make more sales.
Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce is better suited to bigger businesses. Its suite of tools can feel overwhelming at first, but with a little training, you can put your auto parts eCommerce store on autopilot.
This SaaS platform connects to multiple fitment databases and comes mobile-optimized by default.
Shopify is a fan-favorite eCommerce website builder for dropshippers. With a Shopify Plus subscription, you get access to plenty of tools to streamline fitment, set up one-tap checkouts, and personalize customer communications. Shopify even tracks inventory across channels, making it easier than ever to connect with customers on multiple platforms.
WooCommerce is the perfect automotive eCommerce solution designed specifically for anyone with a WordPress website. While WooCommerce doesn’t have a readymade tool for selling car parts online, its flexibility allows you to build the best website for your needs.
For example, sellers use WooCommerce to streamline inventory with conditional field matching, improve the customer experience with mobile themes, and speed up their databases.
Like WooCommerce, Squarespace is a popular solution that isn’t necessarily built for selling auto parts. Instead, you’ll need to adjust a few settings to integrate fitment data into your site.
It requires a little bit of code, but you’re free to set up a general search bar or YMM fitment data to help customers find products in less time. But don’t let the coding scare you away — Squarespace’s designer-provided website themes are a must-try if you want a professional-looking website without hiring a graphic designer.
There are so many automotive eCommerce solutions for selling car parts. There’s no clear winner; it comes down to understanding your business’s needs and finding a solution that solves your biggest pain points. If you’re on the fence, look for these six qualities to pick the most valuable solution for your online store.
Downtime kills sales. Look for a platform that has as close to 100% uptime as possible. This keeps your website online and gives customers a seamless experience, no matter what.
If you’re new to selling online, you’re going to have questions. Sometimes things break, and it’s helpful to have someone you can turn to when things don’t go according to plan.
Look for an eCommerce platform with highly-rated customer support. This will help you solve technical issues more quickly, minimizing disruption to your eCommerce business.
Auto parts websites should be user-friendly and easy to navigate on the customer side. The simpler the user experience, the better customer satisfaction (and sales) will be.
Automotive eCommerce solutions should help you balance out-of-the-box features with personalization. Look for a solution that gives you the freedom to tailor your online store and create custom experiences that cater to your target audience.
The more functionality this platform can handle, the less time you’ll waste jumping from tool to tool. Look for platforms that offer a range of additional tools, like payment processing and inventory management to help you sell more efficiently.
Ensure the platform integrates with essential third-party services such as SEMA Data, ASAP Network, ACES data, and other automotive industry tools. Native integrations with marketing tools, analytics, and suppliers will also make the system much easier to use.
Creating your own online store gives you more control and flexibility over your business. The downside is that you’re responsible for driving traffic to your site, and that can take a lot of time and resources.
Leading eCommerce platforms and marketplaces solve that issue, allowing you to list products and start making sales almost immediately. They come with drawbacks like rules, higher fees, and competition, but these eCommerce marketplaces are a popular option for getting your business off the ground.
Amazon is the go-to eCommerce platform for both buyers and sellers. It’s actually one of the top automotive eCommerce marketplaces in the world, with millions of active shoppers. In fact, the platform raked in $13 billion globally in 2022 just from auto parts and accessories.
Selling through Amazon gives you an unparalleled opportunity to reach a massive audience primed to buy automotive parts. Plus, it offers Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA), which helps you offer fast shipping, customer communications, and much more.
This is a paid service, but many car parts sellers say the saved time and improved visibility make the expense well worth it.
eBay Motors is a special area of eBay designed for the automotive industry. Aftermarket parts are common on this platform, but accessories and specialized or hard-to-find vintage parts are also profitable.
Best of all, eBay Motors allows shoppers to input their vehicle data with the Find A Vehicle search feature, reducing the chances of ordering the wrong part.
Fixed-price listings are usually a better bet as a dropshipper, but eBay does give you the flexibility to sell car parts in auction-style listings. This option is more popular for attracting customers for vintage or unique items that are difficult to price.
Walmart is one of the most stringent marketplaces, with strict guidelines for performance and shopper experience. It’s better suited for experienced eCommerce sellers, but if approved, you get access to thousands of interested customers.
Walmart.com offers an Auto Parts Fitment tool for shoppers looking for car parts. Use the platform’s Auto Parts Fitment Widget to ensure your listings pop up for the right searches.
It allows you to update items in bulk through ACES and PIES. If you don’t have ACES, Walmart recommends consulting SEMA, Myfitment, DCi, or PDM first.
Whether you choose to sell on a website of your own or via an established platform, either option will put your brand in front of more shoppers.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll likely need more help managing your business, from integrating fitment data to streamlining customer service.
Check out these automotive eCommerce software solutions to run a better, more cost-efficient business.
Spark Shipping is an automotive eCommerce solution that integrates with your existing store to automate everything from inventory management to tracking to supplier data.
What sets Spark Shipping apart from other automation solutions is our automotive-specific features, which include:
Managing fitment data and SKUs can get out of hand without the right solution. Minimize the hassle with Spark Shipping. Request a demo now to level up your auto parts store.
ASAP Network is a tool that helps with all things aftermarket. Score helpful tools like a keyword builder, product description optimizer, and fast image importing. It connects sellers with manufacturers for a range of products, including:
While you’ll still need to build a separate website for selling, ASAP Network’s tools save a lot of time and hassle by connecting you with product ideas, marketing tips, and a community to grow your store.
SkuVault isn’t an automotive-specific tool, but it comes jam-packed with time-saving features you’ll love. It brings inventory and warehouse management into one platform, helping you keep more accurate tabs on inventory.
It even connects to Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Shopify to bring your entire eCommerce stack into one place.
If you’re dropshipping, you likely won’t use SkuVault’s warehousing solution, but it's always available if you decide to expand. This feature optimizes pick, pack, and ship to reduce errors and speed up shipping times.
Web Shop Manager is designed to help automotive eCommerce stores make the most of parts search and product data. It isn’t cheap, but this is the most hands-off option with services for product data integration and website design.
Web Shop Manager puts product data on autopilot and boasts an impressive 99.9% uptime for its client websites. It also offers eCommerce consulting services to teach you how to run a more profitable business. Get help with market analysis, YMM search, website design, product data development, and marketing.
X Cart offers full product data integration and automated price and inventory updates for automotive eCommerce stores. It automates inventory and fulfillment in real time, making it possible to sell more car parts in less time. X Cart manages YMM, warehousing, and even a readymade automotive website design tool.
Customize the checkout process, improve the mobile shopping experience, and offer a robust search feature to simplify the normally complex fitment search process.
eCommerce sales of auto parts are on the rise. However, other store owners are also jumping on this trend. Providing a high-quality customer experience that reduces returns is the best way to stand out in the automotive industry.
The right handful of tools will not only simplify the shopping experience for your customers but will also save time and improve profitability.
Managing fitment information, inventory, and customer expectations is no picnic, but the right tools make a difference. Spark Shipping’s powerful automation and pre-built vendor integrations streamline your business so you can focus on what matters most: serving your customers.
Take advantage of the growth in automotive eCommerce without the headaches: Get a Spark Shipping demo now to transform your store into a sales machine.