Recently, Amazon’s Prime Day – a 36-hour extravaganza of super deals for Amazon Prime members – allegedly made history. The e-tailer says it sold 100 million products throughout the 2018 flash sale, making it the biggest “shopping event” in Amazon’s history.
But would Amazon take the rest of the week off and just go kick back in its new 30% off hammock?
Oh no – not now. Not ever. Because Amazon had work to do – namely, collaborating with Hyundai in launching a first-of-its-kind digital showroom on the website.
The digital showroom is Hyundai’s attempt to take some pain out of the dealership experience, and its hosted within Amazon’s Vehicles portal – a site component launched in 2016 that allowed users the ability to compare makes and models and read reviews easily.
The company’s director of automotive said the site was intended to “support customers during one of the most important, research-intensive purchases in their lives by helping them make informed decisions every step of the way” and we totally believe that Amazon is just trying to help. Or, Amazon Vehicles is just the starting point for something much bigger: online car sales.
Now, back to Hyundai: the company’s Amazon digital showroom offers users more than just information. It kicks off the car buying process, allowing users to schedule test drives and check inventories at local dealerships. The company says it wants to modernize the car-buying process which, in turn, means fewer face-to-face and more digital components.
Many have speculated as to how Amazon’s Vehicles offering will play out, and Auto Week says it's only a matter of time before the online retailer is actually selling vehicles. Last year, the company launched a trial in Italy where it sold three different Fiat models in four optional packages, available to be picked up at a dealership within two weeks of clicking “buy now.”