Dec. 31, 2018—PartsTech announced its partnership with NAPA Auto Parts to open e-commerce sales distribution channels, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. In addition to NAPA Auto Parts, PartsTech has also previously formed a partnership with Advance Auto Parts.
“Unlike most product categories that are relatively simple to describe and display online, auto parts are unique due to their complex relationships to particular vehicles, and often to other parts," Erik St. Pierre, co-founder of PartsTech said to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. "For example, a brake rotor may only fit your Jetta if the car had been manufactured in a certain date range and came with the sport package. Auto parts sales are esoteric enough that even online-retail giants have struggled, and continue to struggle, with automotive parts."
PartsTech allows buyers to search for needed parts and locate stores that have them in stock.
“In the same way that Expedia acts as an aggregation platform that brings together providers like Delta or American Airlines so that you don't have to waste time visiting 10 airline websites to book a trip, we help aggregate over 20,000 parts stores across the U.S. so that repair shops can search once, and find the parts they need to repair your car,” St. Pierre said to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, 160,000 repair shops currently use PartTech's platform.
“We originally built the PartsTech system for professional repair shops, but professionals and enthusiasts share a common pain point: not having a central source to track a particular car part, which is often identified while the car is torn apart," St. Pierre said to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. "To get cars back on the road, time is of the essence."
