izmocars’ industry first brings suppliers, re-stylers, installers and dealers together to better coordinate parts updates, pricing, ordering and installation; Supplier dealer orders increase nearly 400% after only two months on network

Las Vegas, NV - izmocars (http://www.izmocars.com) today announced that it will unveil the revolutionary AOA Supplier Digital Network at this week's 2011 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The new network solves the multiple coordination challenges between auto dealers and aftermarket suppliers and is an extension of izmocars’ highly successful AddOnAuto platform that has dramatically increased accessories sales and revenue in auto dealerships across the country.

By bringing aftermarket suppliers, re-stylers, installers and dealers together for the first time on a digital platform, the network enables better coordination of real-time parts updating, pricing, ordering and installation while also providing a visually exciting experience for consumers proven to generate increased sales.

Automotive Concepts, a leader in automotive restyling and accessories and an early adopter of the AOA Supplier Digital Network, reported a nearly 400% increase in dealership orders in just two months on the network. A recent case study conducted with Rudy Luther Toyota demonstrates the efficiency and advantage of the Supplier Digital Network, which helped the Minnesota dealership take accessories sales from $30K a month to over $130K a month.

“We knew that providing a unified digital catalogue for auto dealers and aftermarket suppliers would eliminate the challenges associated with keeping up with the thousands of choices in an ever-changing product market, including pricing changes, market availability, and fitment issues -- as well as solving installer coordination hassles,” said izmocars Vice President Sidney Haider. “The results from dealers using our AddOnAuto platform prove the advantages of providing a visually exciting digital accessories presentation in that sweet spot moment of vehicle purchase – and, with the new AOA Supplier Digital Network, we are now able to extend that opportunity to multiple suppliers and re-stylers, to increase their product sales inside the dealership, while eliminating the hassles that have historically inhibited in-dealership accessories sales.”

Supplier Digital Network: Greater Efficiency, Seamless Coordination, More Sales

The new network enables dealers to say goodbye to those outdated, bulky, dog-eared catalogues lying around the showroom that can cause sales managers to quote and sell the wrong products with the wrong pricing, resulting not only in customer dissatisfaction, but loss of dealer profits and commission charge backs. Now, with the Supplier Digital Network aftermarket suppliers can maintain their parts catalog in real-time and in living color, with up to the minute updates of parts, pricing and images on the network - simply adding their own parts and packages and making them available to their dealer customers with one click. The network also makes it easier for suppliers to maintain multiple price lists for their dealers providing discounts on volume based purchases.

Meanwhile, dealers are now able to use one catalog database to offer a variety of products from various suppliers to their customers, resulting in a much more efficient and effective accessories sales process. The network also offers an online scheduling tool that solves the scheduling challenges associated with complex installation coordination between multiple suppliers and the dealership’s own service center technicians.

“The Supplier Digital Network process is seamless between dealers and installers from initial sale of the accessory to ordering of parts to scheduling the installation work to finally delivering the work,” said Automotive Concepts owner John Prosser. “Now, there is no hassle for the dealer, no hassle for the supplier and, importantly, no hassle for the consumer!”

Prosser added that another key benefit of the platform is that it enables dealerships to present accessories to customers prior to purchase, eliminating the chronic problem of wrong products ordered due to misinterpretation on the dealership end – a problem that translates into significant hassle and wasted time for the supplier/installer.

AOA Supplier Digital Network Features and Benefits

• Creates a digital network between 3rd party suppliers and installers
•  Automates dealers’ digital accessories catalog and creates a vibrant virtual accessories showroom
•  Allows dealers to sell OEM and Aftermarket accessories without the hassle of maintaining a parts catalog, and includes automatic cost updates from multiple suppliers
• Makes it possible for dealers to easily leverage 3rd party suppliers and installers to provide better mix of products for engaging and effective presentations
• Ensures the correct product mix (i.e. the right, available accessories for the customer’s vehicle choice) for a fulfilling shopping experience
• Easily facilitates quality installation and high service levels, which equal complete customer satisfaction
• Streamlines co-ordination of accessory sales across all departments
• Enables sales to take advantage of any “wait time” after the purchase has been negotiated and financing is being arranged to let the customer digitally configure their new vehicle with accessories
• Instantly re-calculates financing/payments to reflect addition of accessories as consumer virtually adds accessories.
• Process and order handling training at the dealership ensures that benefits of platform are leveraged across dealership departments from sale to parts to F&I and that the retail consumer is presented with the products they want.

To read the case study on how Automotive Concepts and Rudy Luther Toyota achieved accessories sales success through the AOA Supplier Digital Network, click here.

About AddOnAuto
izmocars AddOnAuto (AOA) is an innovative in-store accessories sales solution that helps dealers sell accessories effortlessly and includes a visual configurator as well as a virtual inventory system. AOA incorporates three breakthrough functionalities for dealerships: 1) Rich customer visualization/personalization tools, 2) A 100% virtual inventory system, and 3) Integration of all accessories sales workflow across the sales, F & I and service/installation departments.

AOA enables dealership customers to pull up their exact vehicle model (down to trim level) and interactively configure it with thousands of interior and exterior accessories on the fly. Customers can richly visualize and build a custom, ‘dream’ version of their car (i.e., with tinted windows, custom wheels, spoilers, body-side moldings, upholstery, dash kits or navigation, etc.).

AOA’s inventory system is 100% virtual (providing tens of thousands of accessories from updated OEM and aftermarket vendor databases), meaning dealerships can present an almost limitless array of options to consumers. Dealerships using AOA report an average increase in gross margins to 45%, net profit margins to 28% and accessory revenue-per-vehicle sold to $475.

About izmocars
izmocars is a leading provider of Automotive Business Solutions including: Website and Online Marketing Solutions, Enterprise-level Automotive CRM, iConsult - Sales Performance Coaching and AddOnAuto - an In-Store Accessories Sales Solution. izmocars is also the world's leader in Interactive Media Content for the automotive industry. Founded in 2002, izmocars services some of the most successful eDealers in the country. izmocars is based in San Francisco, with offices in Long Beach, CA, Chattanooga, TN, Philadelphia, PA, and Brussels in Europe. For more information, go to http://www.izmocars.com

About Automotive Concepts
Since 1986, Automotive Concepts has been an industry leader in automotive restyling and accessories. Each year we customize over 8,000 cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, boats, ATVs and more, in our 32,000 sq. ft. production facility - making us the largest aftermarket installer in the Midwest! Customer satisfaction is our #1 priority and we have a commitment to provide the highest quality products and services.

Melanie Webber, Media Relations
mWEBB Communications
(424) 603-4340
melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com

Angela Jacobson
mWEBB Communications
(714) 454-8776
angela(at)mwebbcom(dot)com