How Amazon is expanding its car-sales business

FINANCE.YAHOO.COMApr 13, 8:27 PM UTC

Key insights

  • Amazon is expanding its online car sales platform to include brands like Jeep and Chevrolet, in addition to Hyundai and Ford. This move aims to streamline the car buying process, potentially reducing friction for consumers. While dealers remain involved for pickup, the expansion signals a shift towards digital car sales, mirroring Tesla's direct-to-consumer model. This could positively influence consumer discretionary spending and Amazon's revenue.
How Amazon is expanding its car-sales business

Amazon (AMZN) is expanding its car-sales business to include Jeep, Chevrolet, and other automakers.

Yahoo Finance Senior Autos Reporter Pras Subramanian breaks down the details.

Amazon's car sales bet is getting bigger with new brands in more cities. This is per the journal. The e-commerce giants, new car buying programming expanding to Jeep, Chevrolet, and other brands. What do you make of that?

So, I saw this story this morning and you know, when Amazon originally tied up with Hyundai, that was a, they did a big press release. There was a big deal. You can go to Amazon in certain states and buy a car.

Mhm.

You can literally do everything. Financing, pick the car you want, sign the dotted line and then go go to the dealer to pick up. The dealer still is involved, right? So that was a big deal. And then the journal did a piece where Amazon's quietly signing up other automakers. We heard about Ford uh recently, but that's one of the automakers mentioned Jeep and a couple others. So they're expanding that. He's for I believe new cars and some used, like, I believe they're uh certified pre-owned used cars that the dealer is offering. So this is a kind of a big deal. I mean for people like you and I or anyone who's used to buying things digitally and not have to do with the friction of going to the dealer, which I know you did recently.

I sure did. I had a great dealer though. I mean great deal, great car. I have no complaints about the dealer though.

But it took some time though, didn't it?

It took some time, but you know, I was interested when you're buying. When you're, that's a good, it's a good line of process. Um, when you're buying a car, it can get complicated, paperwork and the financing and and right the trade in. I mean do you ever think it gets, is it ever gonna be as easy to buy a car online as it is like buying sneakers?

Well, it already is if you buy a Tesla because you can buy it all in the app.

Yeah. Just as simple.

You can buy a car on the app. It and same with automakers like Rivian, they say, do everything online, just come in and we'll give you the car. So it it is, you're absolutely right. It's not a buying a fridge, right? This is a much bigger thing and you're kind of concerned about what are all the the terms and conditions? What what am I signing up for? What's the lease? You know, so those things are, you can actually do them online. It it takes a bit more longer amount of time to go through the documents but you can do it and I think that's the future. I think the journal story, there's a dealer talking about how, talking about how excuse me uh newer Kia owners or young people and they're digital natives. So this is like they expect this.

This is nothing, yeah.

Yeah.

I didn't mind the old pathway. Yeah, I didn't mind it. It came, you know, there was some hiccups that you're referencing, but you know what, hiccups are part of it. I like the back and forth. I, you know, the negotiations. Yeah. I know you do.

I like the, I want to negotiate.

I know you do.

I don't want I actually don't want to say that's that's the price.

You actually don't even mind the confrontation.

I don't want a one price. I want to you I want to negotiate.

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