The Parts Alliance has launched the use of auto parts vending machines in partnership with the Automobile Association (AA), providing the U.K.’s biggest roadside assistance provider with access to parts on the road 24-hours a day.
The PA PartVend concept is being piloted in a number of strategic locations, with the machines electronically linked so The Parts Alliance can tell instantly which products are being used and when to replenish the stock.
Mike Curry, sales director of national accounts for The Parts Alliance, said, “Early results are very positive and we hope to ramp up the number of locations significantly and pretty quickly. The vending machines not only allow access to stock out of normal hours but also mean we can get product closer to AA patrols in areas where we currently don’t have branches.”
For example, a typical stock item is a battery, and the AA patrol gains access using a secure key code.
Curry added, “It’s another way of extending our reach and increases the number of locations where the AA can quickly pick up parts if they haven’t got them on the van. They get what they need, the beleaguered motorist is back on the road more quickly and we have a sale. It’s a win for everyone.”
Peter Sephton, chief executive of The Parts Alliance, said, ‘’The PA PartVend vending concept is a world industry first and contributes to our position as a technology leader in the distribution of auto parts in Europe. It integrates with our class leading electronic catalog AlliCat and our Parts Alliance Reporting and Compliance tool, PARC, that allows our customers to gain full traceability of their parts in the supply chain.”
The Parts Alliance is the U.K. and Ireland’s largest group of wholly owned and franchised businesses supplying OE and matching quality auto parts to national and independent garages and workshops.
The AA’s patrols attend an average 10,000 breakdowns every day across the U.K.
Curry added, “It’s thanks to building up very strong relationships with major companies, and working closely with them, that when we propose innovative concepts they are amenable to them. Having completed the feasibility study we will work with the AA to identify exactly where and how many of these vending machines are needed.”
