3 ways the automotive aftermarket can tackle growing challenges

The world of online commerce has provided more options for businesses and consumers. For the automotive aftermarket industry, it has allowed retailers to source tires, parts, and services that would have been impossible — or at least incredibly difficult — to find in the past.

However, to find all the products and services needed to run their business, technicians must surf the web one platform at a time. Between remembering and inputting multiple logins, keeping track of order forms from multiple sources, and spending time browsing, retailers lose valuable time they could spend servicing customers.

At the end of the day, the automotive aftermarket industry needs to embrace innovation to boost sales, drive growth, and improve customer relations. One company has taken on the challenge and created a comprehensive digital marketplace that connects the industry and ultimately connects retailers to their consumers.

One platform for all

American Tire Distributors (ATD), one of the largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market, has created Radius, a digital hub that integrates tires, parts, services, and solutions into one connected experience. The platform is built on ATD's customer-centric principles, taking the guesswork out of parts and service searching to focus on what really matters.

“This new digital marketplace, Radius, was designed to support our customers through every step of their journey,” said Stuart Schuette, President and CEO of ATD. “We heard firsthand about the challenges they face every day, and Radius is our solution to help make it easier for them to do their job.”

Radius' suite of digital tools seamlessly integrates into business operations and offers a scalable and customizable experience, providing retailers big and small with what they need to serve their customers. By automating customer marketing and communications — including personalized messaging campaigns, appointment reminders, and customer reviews — retailers can focus on growing their businesses.

Free time for learning

Radius simplifies the day-to-day operations, allowing technicians more time to grow their knowledge and better serve their customers. Many industries, including the automotive market, are struggling to find quality staff.

According to Tire Business, between new auto tech positions created by industry growth and the need to replace existing positions, the industry needs more than 86,000 new technicians to meet demand. Even if a dealer can find technicians, it can be difficult to find time to properly onboard new team members, potentially having a negative impact on customer retention.

ATD designed Radius to make technician upskilling and retention easier. The online platform incorporates Spark for retail, an e-learning resource that shop owners, sales associates, and technicians can use to further their professional development. Integrated webinars, videos, and quizzes facilitate more streamlined onboarding and improve customer service skills. Not only does e-learning help new technicians skill up, but it also allows operators to keep their eyes on their trade.

Sustaining business and the planet

Waste has long been a pain point for the automotive industry. According to ATD, 235 million tires are produced every year and today, 17% of used tires are sent to landfills. While that is an improvement compared to previous decades, that number adds up.

Sustainability in business is more important than ever before. According to Harvard Business Review, sustainability promotes trust in brands, particularly among younger generations. In turn, trusted companies outperform others by up to 400%. Taking care to recycle products like tires isn't just good for the planet. It's also good for business.

Since 2022, ATD has helped retailers invest in sustainability by helping them recycle used tires. The process has been further simplified by Radius. The platform makes it easy to schedule pickup and recycle tires, which are delivered to recyclers to create new material down the line.

These are just a few ways Radius is connecting the industry while always keeping customers top of mind. To learn more about ATD and Radius, visit ATD.com/Radius.