Montreal, Quebec — March 15, 2017 — A new version of NAPACanada.com has been launched. A statement from the company says the new website allows NAPA stores to address the rapidly evolving digital marketplace and consumer expectations. NAPA’s parent company, UAP, has also recently signed a deal that may soon see parts being delivered through flying drones.
The changes to the site are not just skin deep. Customers can now check prices and availability online, as well as reserve their parts before picking them up at their nearest store.
“The possibility of reserving parts online is an industry first in Canada,” says UAP President Alain Masse. “It’s a feature our customers have been looking forward to, and we’re happy to be able to provide it, along with a new version of our website. It will now be easier than ever for our customers to find the part they need, check the price and make sure it’s in stock before they head to the store. Our entire purchasing process is now much easier, allowing us to provide a better customer experience than our competitors.”
NAPACanada.com’s online catalogue includes over 480,000 parts, and the online reservation feature is available across Canada at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores.
The online reservation feature is intended to increase retail sales at NAPA stores, a sector the company says has high growth potential.
“With the popularity of numerous digital sales platforms, today’s consumers expect to find a wide variety of products online, and the auto parts distribution industry is no exception,” says Simon Weller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
In December, UAP announced it had signed an agreement with Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) to test a drone delivery platform for its Auto Parts division nationwide.
“For UAP, drone delivery has great potential to serve our customers more effectively, while reducing our ecological footprint,” says Masse. “In urban areas, drone delivery is an obvious solution for decreasing the number of vehicles on the road and the amount of GHG emissions they produce, especially during rush hour. We’re excited about the opportunities that this technology could bring to a company like ours, since our success relies largely on our ability to deliver the right part at the right time to our customers.”
DDC will use its logistics platform to design, prototype and test a solution that will allow NAPA to expand its logistical resources for warehouse-to-warehouse and warehouse-to-consumer deliveries. DDC will carry out initial tests at a specific location in southern Ontario, moving on to tests out of visual range in the towns of Foremost, Alberta, and Alma, Quebec, in compliance with Transport Canada regulations.
UAP has begun preparatory work with DDC to establish a timeline for the coming months.
