Once again, Amazon show us a path that we did not know existed. The personal test drive is changed in an instant. I’m not sure how many auto manufacturers or dealers will jump on the Prime bandwagon, but expect to see a few more opt in soon. If nothing else, this adds to the Prime experience and gives consumers another reason to visit Amazon first.

OK, cars are my space – but used cars are the smarter investment and most Millennials know this, at least the ones related to me or influenced by me. But I am sure there are the Milennials out there linked to making payments for leasing new cars or buying them.

Amazon can be the lead generation tool for the auto dealers, but in selling the cars they will have a peak and then run flat. Strong dealers already do this and they do it well, but they can complete the full sale from online to at-door to post-sale service. Amazon cannot, especially with some brands.

Good marketing by Amazon that is more of a test and playtime effort than a play for serious margins. Real people buy cars from pros and negotiate. I ended up with my 2015 truck with perks that you would never get on an online deal. After a walk away from a deal they called back and added what I wanted — for free. Try that on Amazon, kids.

This is brilliant marketing and will be successful! Millennials will require and buy environmentally-sound vehicles from brands that truly stand up and put a social conscience into practice. It is imperative that the entire automotive industry watch this experiment very closely because it just may revolutionize the automotive distribution model — not unlike what Amazon did to traditional retail. Integrating mobile proximity marketing and merchandising technologies into this scenario will amplify the transformation.

This just may be the Armageddon of show rooming. The pitched battle that will ensue when Amazon starts offering to fulfill the order for a vehicle the customer “specs out” at the dealer showroom will be epic. On top of the deep dealer contract obligations there are state-by-state legal restrictions in place to protect those dealerships as well. Just ask Tesla. But this will happen. And eventually those dealers will be fulfilling orders for Amazon — just like they do for Costco shoppers.

I wish this existed in my area a few months ago. We recently went through the search stage after not having to do it for many years (we keep cars for a long time). There have been no positive changes in the way the customer is handled in a typical non-executive car dealership. You think the salesperson is your friend until you are turned over to “the closer.” That is when things and relationships go downhill. If this step can be avoided at least during the search stage, this is going to be a good venture for Amazon.

Millennials want to test drive before purchase and do not like the hassle and pressure of car dealerships, which is no different from other purchasers. What is different is that Millennials do not feel the same compulsion to purchase automobiles. If Amazon can allow Millennials the opportunity to review, compare, test drive and purchase in a no-hassle atmosphere, they may have found another successful category.

Revolutionary! Amazon found yet another (new) way to present a product and make sales. Who hasn’t walked into a deli and been given a sample of Old Amsterdam cheese, and then headed straight for the counter to buy some (as I did today). Ditto for automobiles. Once they’ve tasted the goods (automobile), they’re psychologically primed to make a purchase. And the offering of advice for navigating the auto-purchase labyrinth? Priceless!

The auto dealership business is tightly controlled by the manufacturers, so I don’t see the established brands going this route in the near term for anything beyond marketing lead generation, unless it’s driven by regional auto retailers. This does present an avenue for new brands like Tesla, which needs someplace to market its wares and others as they expand to new geos. However this isn’t exactly a void in the market as there are many doing similar things today, but it does let Amazon steer its traffic to influence some sales. To the point of Millennials not valuing auto ownership, I don’t see that characteristic as generationally linked, but as a result of population shifts. According to a UN study, today, over 54 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and that is expected to increase to 66 per cent by 2050. Where cars become an ingrained part of daily life such as in suburbs and rural settings, breaking away from the readily available mode of transportation parked in the driveway is… Read more »

If it can be consumed, Amazon is in it, or will be. Amazon is looking to get larger sellers to say “uncle,” and will then gladly sell you their services (FBA, AWS, etc) and access to their “eye balls.”