Estimated read time: 5 minutes
From Scratch to Sales
eBay now drives 50% of Breedan Dodge’s online parts orders
Jesse Thompson was confident she had the chops to improve Breedan’s online presence and could get sales beyond the dealership’s one or two orders a day.
She had an extensive retail background, but no experience with eCommerce. She had next to no marketing budget and Stellantis didn’t allow international sales. Add eBay’s unfamiliar landscape, and growing Breedan’s online sales looked like a challenge.
But Thompson understood the day to day workings of Breedan’s parts business. The jump to eCommerce and eBay seemed totally doable. This addition to the business was a customer service issue; she’d figure out the tech. She carved out a role for herself: Parts Administration and Internet Sales Coordinator.
Low budget, no problem
Thompson took ownership of the dealership’s entire online parts business (eCommerce, wholesale sales, shipping, receiving, administration) and expanded the division into a national business with eBay sales making up nearly half of Breedan’s online parts orders.
“When I first started we’d have one or two orders a day. We weren’t out there. But online, you can choose who to reach. You can work locally or open up globally, which is what we did with eBay.”
Increased reach means increased name recognition, even in eCommerce, and that name recognition is good for business.
“Now, I know we’re not as big as some of the other dealerships, but we’re getting there. Once we have more of a budget to put ourselves out there, then I think we’ll grow.”
Additional revenue sources unlocked
While the margins can be tight on eBay sales, the gap gets filled by increased overall annual sales. The dealership also saw improvements in their shipping numbers. Working with RevolutionParts gave Breedan access to more shipping options and volume discounts. A tighter focus on tracking shipping costs revealed that a perceived loss of $1800 on shipping was actually a $1000 gain.
The dealership is on track to become a top seller on eBay, meaning they’ve met eBay’s strict service metrics. They score high for service, consistently, and that’s good for business.
Implementing this new sales channel wasn’t a one-and-done process. Using RevolutionParts inventory management tools, Thompson tagged older inventory making it easier to track, and created a unified database for all their parts. She didn’t add new inventory, focusing instead on what they had in stock. She looked at every step of the parts sales and service process, looking for ways to improve the workflow.
Breedan has found eBay sales create wins from Mopar’s incentive programs, too. The dealership gets reimbursed for 7–11% of their OEM sales, so even though eBay transactions are lower than traditional counter sales, they help the dealership’s total volume to unlock extra revenue.
Automation benefits customers and dealers
Thompson worked with RevolutionParts to implement automation where possible. She set up an automated VIN verification process; that has lowered return rates significantly because compatibility gets verified before the parts are shipped. Breedan sends automated notifications around supply concerns and cancellations; when customers cancel, the dealership isn’t hit with eBay penalties.
Thompson has solid, tactical advice for people who haven’t yet been successful selling parts on eBay. She recommends really zooming in on eBay’s policies. They can be hard to understand, though you can find workarounds.
For example, Breedan locked down their “time away” settings, basically clocking out of the online shop at noon on Fridays. Customers could still place orders, but Breedan no longer got dinged for late shipping on orders they didn’t see until Monday morning.
The dealership is looking at new ownership; Thompson hopes she’ll get a bigger marketing budget and more staff going forward. But her work is already a success.
