Mechanical Repair Wholesale Parts
Mechanical independent repair facilities (IRFs) are often viewed as your dealership’s competition, but mechanical wholesale parts sales could represent the single greatest untapped revenue opportunity for your parts department. Look at the statistics—the number of IRFs across the U.S. exceeds collision repair shops by well more than double!, but Lexus dealer market share is only 5%, leaving 95% to aftermarket suppliers.
Mechanical wholesale parts sales could represent the single greatest untapped revenue opportunity for your parts department.
Right Time, Right Fit, Right Price
Right Part
With diagnostic support and VIN-driven Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC) look-up, your dealership’s parts procurement support systems, such as OPSTrax® and RepairLink®, give your IRF customers a direct line to order the parts they need 24/7. No worries about fitment—the exact part is matched to the exact VIN, ensuring the technician and the customer that their Lexus will be fixed right the first time.
Just-in-Time Delivery
Cycle time is critical to IRFs. Their customers often wait for the vehicle, making parts delivery time paramount. The clock starts when the IRF places the order and stops when the part arrives. Check your online orders frequently to expedite service and help grow your business. Supply chain issues have impacted both OEs and aftermarket suppliers; Lexus has worked hard to put systems and processes in place to help expedite parts delivery to your dealership. Once that part arrives at your dealership, just-in-time delivery services, such as hot-shot delivery, help to increase shop confidence in buying Lexus Genuine Parts and position your dealership as their first contact. For more information on facilitating just-in-time parts delivery, see Lexus WIN story Expediting Parts Delivery.
Quality
When it comes to quality, there is no comparison between Lexus Genuine Parts and their aftermarket competitors. Each Lexus Genuine Part is specifically designed and meticulously engineered for each vehicle, ensuring the precise fit, unrivaled performance, and unparalleled reliability. Each part is not only backed by the Lexus warranty but also by the support service and expertise your dealership can provide to its IRF customers.
Competitive Price
IRFs understand that there is no equal comparison to the quality of OE parts; therefore, pricing is key. Largely, look at what the market will bear and your competitive factor in wholesale. The mechanical repair market is highly competitive and it’s on-demand. Shops cannot wait for days to receive a part—the vehicle is in the service bay and the technician needs the part now! They are willing to pay for convenience. Be sure that your pricing is appropriate for OE parts in your market and supported by billing and return policies that make your dealership’s parts the best choice financially.
Get the Word Out!
Feel free to brag! The exemplary service that your parts department provides could be the best-kept secret in your market area unless you promote your business. In the Lexus WIN article “Your Wholesale Customer Connection,” your Lexus dealer peers share best practices in marketing their parts departments’ support and services. Be sure that your marketing communications focus on these key advantages of doing business with your department:
- Ordering options and processes
- Parts delivery options
- How your dealership can help the shop optimize margins
- Customer-focused return policy and seamless parts return process
- Lexus Genuine Parts quality and brand promise
- Diagnostic support services
Get Ready to Grow!
The Lexus Partner Programs have been carefully selected to provide specific features and service to help you grow your business, and the mechanical opportunity is no exception. As you plan to pursue this potentially lucrative and untapped market, consider those Lexus Partner Programs (link to article #4) designed to support wholesale parts sales to mechanical repair shops.
