Repair Shop Online Ordering

by Anthony Shaheen

Why Auto Repair Shops Turn to Public Websites for Parts — and Why Many Don’t

When we asked 500 professionals why they turn to public websites instead of their main suppliers, the most common answer was essentially: we don’t.

That’s not to say these platforms aren’t on the radar, but the relationship most shops have with sites like Amazon, eBay, and RockAuto is more of a supporting role than go-to purchasing channel.

46% of respondents said they simply don’t purchase parts from public websites. A lot of them were pretty blunt about it, “NAPA takes good care of us. We don’t need anybody else” and that sentiment showed up repeatedly.

Strong supplier relationships, warranty concerns, and the hassle of receiving the wrong part were the main reasons shops gave for staying offline. A good chunk also mentioned they had dipped into Amazon or eBay during the COVID supply chain mess but have since gone back to their normal routines.

For the shops that do use these sites, the biggest driver (at 28%) is filling a gap their regular suppliers can’t cover. A part is on backorder, the supplier is out of stock, there’s a delivery delay and that’s when Amazon gets the call. As one respondent put it: “We only use them as a last resort, if we can’t find the part through normal channels.”

Tariffs came up here too. Plenty of shops said they aren’t using online sites right now, but they’re watching the situation closely and may not have a choice if parts availability takes a hit.

About 19% of respondents pointed to specialty or hard-to-find parts as their main reason for going online mostly for older vehicles, discontinued components, or niche categories like tires and wheels, “We generally use sites like Amazon and eBay for hard-to-find, discontinued, or sometimes even gently used parts”.

Price was a factor for 12% of respondents, mostly smaller shops that need to shop around to protect their margins. Speed and convenience came in just behind at 11%, driven almost entirely by Amazon’s next-day (and sometimes same-day) delivery. When a customer’s car is already on the lift, waiting two days for a part due to a problem in normal channels isn’t always an option.

Shops that currently have no reason to use public websites were still talking about them as a contingency plan. If the supply chain tightens, the “last resort” category could get a lot bigger in a hurry.

These shops remain loyal to what works. Online platforms have carved out a real role in the parts buying process, but it’s a supporting role. The shops most likely to be active online buyers are the ones chasing hard-to-find parts, dealing with supplier gaps, or squeezing margins wherever they can. For everyone else, their supplier relationships are doing the job just fine for now.