Stellantis and Amazon are joining forces to help owners of one of the automaker’s iconic brands acquire additional merchandise to go along with their vehicle.
The Dodge Store by Amazon officially opened its doors to automotive enthusiasts on Monday. Dodge//SRT fans now can shop hundreds of options for authentic licensed gear and merchandise across the Amazon storefront.
According to a news release, Dodge added the Amazon storefront to provide a one-stop shop for brand enthusiasts
“Opening our Dodge storefront on Amazon offers our enthusiasts a dedicated, branded, consumer experience where they can shop for their favorite gear and merchandise across multiple categories through a familiar and user-friendly online experience,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand and Interim Chrysler Brand chief executive officer.
“The Dodge brand featured collections also allow our most devoted fans to shop a range of products to align with a wide range of passions, including Brotherhood of Muscle, ’70s Collection and Vintage Garage,” Kuniskis continued.
Fans, including muscle car and race enthusiasts, who embrace the Dodge//SRT lifestyle can shop brand essentials, from apparel and man cave must-haves to toys and video games, including those from the movie franchise “Fast & the Furious.”
The online store can be found here.
Lexus has chosen connected car platform Dealerware to join a group of software vendors to power its newly reimagined Lexus Customer Convenience System.
Lexus’ approval of the Dealerware platform follows a nine-month pilot program in which multiple Lexus dealerships increased fleet utilization rates by as much as 18%.
In the pilot program, those dealerships also improved customer service experiences during a challenging year, according to Dealerware.
The company said now that it will help power Lexus’ Customer Convenience System, all 243 North American Lexus dealerships will be able to use Dealerware's mobile contracting, cost recovery, fleet management and reporting tools.
That, according to Dealerware, will boost the service experiences for those dealerships’ customers and simplify the management of large vehicle fleets.
Dealerware, which describes itself as modern fleet management for the modern retailer, said that all participating dealerships at the end of the pilot program decided to continue using Dealerware instead of reverting to their previous fleet management platforms.
“We began as a pilot dealer with Dealerware and elected to remain on their platform because we really like how easy it is for our team to use and the superior experience we can deliver to our customers,” Monika Slezak, service manager at Lexus of Stevens Creek in San Jose, Calif., said in a news release.
Dealerware said J.D. Power research shows the Dealerware platform helps increase customer satisfaction scores. Dealerware said Lexus dealers choosing Dealerware for their fleet management and fixed operations customer service needs will see elevated customer experiences and mobile-first, one-minute customer contracting.
Customers will also experience the following, according to Dealerware:
— Modern rental capabilities
— Ease of pickup and delivery
— Automated cost recovery
— Actionable reporting & analytics
— Strong dealer support
“The new LCCS is evolving to deliver an even more customer-centric experience that includes courtesy loaners, pickup and delivery, retail rental, and other modern mobility services that today's luxury consumer appreciates," said Dealerware president and chief operating officer, Russell Lemmer. “We look forward to helping Lexus dealers delight existing customers, attract new buyers and continue to reinforce their status as a top luxury brand.”
Noting that an effective website is crucial for auto manufacturers, J.D. Power released its 2019 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study Cross-Device — Summer.
Examining websites based on information/content, appearance, navigation and speed (in that order of importance), the study measures how useful automotive manufacturer websites were during buyers’ process of shopping for a new vehicle.
Placing in the top spot among mass-market brands was MINI, followed by Ram and GMC. Tied for the top spot among luxury brands were Acura and Alfa Romeo.
J.D. Power has performed the semi-annual study since 1999. This year’s study, performed in May, is based on responses from 13,792 new-vehicle shoppers indicating that within the next 24 months, they will be in the market for a new vehicle.
For this year’s study, overall satisfaction for the luxury segment averages 828 on a 1,000-point scale. The mass market segment averages 822.
J.D. Power said that during the vehicle selection process for new-vehicle shoppers, a manufacturer’s website is “a major portal of information,” assisting shoppers in narrowing “their consideration set,” and helping them identify important vehicle features and benefits.
“Well-designed aspects of website appearance, navigation, and speed enhance shoppers’ ability to locate specific content, helping to drive traffic to [showrooms],” the company said. “Each of these aspects will continue to be an important part of the overall design strategy as vehicle manufacturers execute site designs across multiple device types, including tablets and smartphones.”
J.D. Power said the study helps “direct improvements to manufacturers’ websites that ultimately drive traffic to dealerships and increase the likelihood of sales.”
Following are the results of the study:
Mass market manufacturer website ranking
(based on a 1,000-point scale)
— MINI: 838
— Ram: 833
— GMC: 831
— Chevrolet: 830
— Dodge: 829
— Jeep: 828
— Fiat: 825
— Buick: 824
— Hyundai: 823
— Subaru: 822
— Volkswagen: 821
— Chrysler: 820
— Ford: 818
— Nissan: 818
— Kia: 817
— Mitsubishi: 817
— Honda: 812
— Toyota: 811
— Mazda: 809
Luxury manufacturer website ranking
— Acura: 839
— Alfa Romeo: 839
— Porsche: 837
— Land Rover: 836
— Cadillac: 834
— Lincoln: 833
— Lexus: 832
— Mercedes-Benz; 831
— Audi: 829
— Volvo: 824
— Genesis: 823
— Infiniti: 821
— BMW: 819
— Jaguar: 819
— Tesla: 811
