Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/422004
FOCUS PSB E-commerce/DMS www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • December 1, 2014 • 17 "Every feature request is documented and reviewed, and it goes on to product manage- ment for consideration," Littlejohn reported. "We're excited that our dealers know that their feedback is important to us, and they understand the level of partnership that we're creating with them." Though much of the focus over the past several months has been on transitioning cur- rent customers, with the switch has also come referrals and requests from new customers, not only growing Dominion's customer base, but also increasing its pool from which to draw feedback. "We have been thrilled with the number of dealers that have expressed interest in the platform," Littlejohn said. "We've also been thrilled with the number of prospects that our current or existing customers are bringing to us as a result of our technology. We're very confident in the direction we're heading and couldn't be more pleased with the level of activity and interest around DX1." PSB DX1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 Successful U.S. launch expands into Canada As the Internet rattles traditional retail busi- ness and successively gives consumers control across verticals, global leaders in the industry like Polaris, BRP, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Ducati have responded with strategic investments in Shopatron's inventory visibility and fulfillment solutions, placing buyers in the driver's seat. The bold new business model disrupts the path to purchase and simultaneously strengthens dealer relationships, pushing the automotive and vehicle industries further into the digital frontier. Shopatron Manufacturer is the only tech- nology that allows trailblazers like Polaris Industries to elevate its e-commerce website as a direct sales channel that delivers orders to authorized dealers for fulfillment. Polaris made its first move to share inven- tory across retail and e-commerce at the end of 2012 with the PG&A catalogs from its snow- mobiles, ATV, ORV, GEM, Victory Motorcycles and Indian Motorcycles collections — com- prised of over 5,000 products. By June 2013, Shopatron integrated its pat- ented Order Exchange with the Polaris e-com- merce site, a platform where Polaris now shares online orders with over 300 active fulfillment partners. The partnership has grown Polaris' online sales 13 percent from Q1 2013 to Q2 2014. In light of the success, earlier this year Polaris released its Generator line onto the ship-from-store solution, and expanded the retail-integrated e-commerce initiative into Canada, where the online store shares orders with more than 50 dealers and growing. Even- tually, the brand may hand over even more to its dealers. With Shopatron, Polaris can turn on in-store pickup and share its customer relation- ships too, driving buyers into stores to pick up online orders. "Polaris customers increasingly research and comparison shop privately online," said Libby Mura, e-commerce, marketing & sales director of the Parts, Apparel and Accessories division at Polaris Industries. "Our desire to thoroughly occupy the online space where more and more vehicle and accessorizing selection is happening sparked our interest in Shopatron, and through it, we have achieved a dealership buying experience that is a conve- nient, effortless transition from online." "Our saturation in powersports and the automotive aftermarket signals the ubiquity of e-commerce," said Shopatron founder and CEO, Ed Stevens. "We're ushering in a new era where progressive order routing technology will give consumers the ability to shop online for any new vehicle, because with Shopatron, manufacturers don't circumvent dealers." Shopatron's intelligent order routing logic will allow brands to prioritize fulfillment with filters and rules that can, for instance, Polaris, Shopatron combo leads to e-commerce growth See Shopatron, Page 21 The DX1 platform is known for its ease of use and efficiencies.