Does e-commerce make supplier face time matter less?
It's easy to assume that as aftermarket buying moves online, supplier relationships turn into email threads and data feeds. Neil Sethi, CEO of NexaMotion Group, says that couldn't be further from the truth.
Before e-commerce, warehouse distributor conversations with suppliers centered on pricing, availability and assortment. Now the data is the asset: fitment, application content, videos, pictures and graphics.
A request for new product attributes can go out by email. What gets mistranslated is the why, and Sethi says that's best explained in person. That's where events like AAPEX come in. Distributors and suppliers can sit face-to-face, do reviews and talk through what information customers actually need.
His takeaway: if anything, automotive aftermarket e-commerce makes human interactions more important.
The chat also covers how e-commerce captures lost-sales demand and why structuring data to ACES and PIES standards matters.
Hear what Sethi says gets lost when it's sent by email. Watch the full QuickChat, and join your fellow automotive aftermarket professionals in Las Vegas from Nov. 3-5, 2026 at AAPEX.
About the Author
Christine Schaffran Christine Schaffran
Editor-in-Chief
Christine Schaffran is the Editor-in-Chief for Ratchet+Wrench magazine at Endeavor B2B. She is an award-winning journalist, having covered both commercial and industry magazines and newspapers during her career. She previously served as Editor-in-Chief for another publisher for 17 years prior to joining Endeavor. When she's not spending time with her husband and son, you'll find her in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes and delicious dishes to try.
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