Stellantis: “Reaching customers where they are and where they are heading”

It is being deployed at the pace defined by our “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan. Stellantis Parts & Services is determined to become one of the major players in the manufacturer and independent aftermarket across the world by offering a unique multi-brand solution, for all in-house and independent repairers in the world. This one-stop-shop, multi-brand strategy now extends to all Stellantis Group operations and regions. In Europe, Distrigo logistic platforms will distribute original parts from all ex-FCA brands from mid-2023. We already offer a catalogue of eight million parts and accessory references in 140 countries. We honour more than 400,000 order lines per day from 65 master-hubs which themselves directly supply more than 29,000 local Level 1 distribution points from our global partners, including our network of Distrigo centres in Europe and MEA. Their Distrigo Relay and Distrigo Market points can resupply all Stellantis group and independent garages.

This OE/IAM cooperation has existed in the field, on a daily basis and has always been the case. The reality is that the garage goes to the supplier who has the part. Manufacturer networks have been getting their supplies from independents for a long time, just as independents do from manufacturers. For any garage, the main thing remains to obtain the part to finish the job and get the consumer back on the road as quickly and as best as possible.
This observation led to the launch of the first Eurorepar multi-brand range in 2002, then the Eurorepar Car Service network in 2003. What we hadn’t fully understood at the time was the need to add an efficient distribution structure with big local stocks to this strategy of supply of parts. This resulted in the birth of Distrigo in 2016 and the Distrigo Relay and Market. We know that one of the keys to our success is logistical proximity. And now we have the firm will to further develop services and relationships with IAM players, including distributors and independent garages.

And it is exciting! The silos are collapsing. It is no longer considered odd for relationships to be created between the independent aftermarket and the manufacturers’ aftermarket. We have gone beyond historical antagonisms to focus on what binds us together. As soon as we have the same vision and the same idea about what excellence in customer service should look like, for BtoB and BtoC, agreements that were yesterday considered “heretical” can set up easily. The end customer’s satisfaction overcame barriers and “labelling” issues. We are open and reaching out to the independent parts sector. Let it be known to all those who are interested!

In one country, we already deliver to a Groupauto centre that has become our distributor; in another, two of the largest Distrigo hubs were independent distribution groups. In Argentina, we created a joint venture with a distributor from the independent aftermarket. In China, we chose to buy three independent distributors to become the fourth largest parts distributor in the country. In Tunisia, four new Distrigo hubs have already been launched with a large group.
But this blurring of borders is not really so new. We’ve had partnerships with independent distributors in certain markets for a long time that cover our entire offer. Above all, we are witnessing an evolution and an acceleration dictated by the consumer. It is him who ask for an increasingly shorter delivery time and require more and more services and technical expertise. Our whole approach is pragmatically dictated by our strong desire to be “customer centric” and therefore to work with those who have this same ethos.

It is not easy! But we give ourselves the means to be agile. And you have to be agile to want to serve our 31,000 authorised garages worldwide, our 5,700 Eurorepar Car Service centres in 30 countries or the nearly 5,000 Mopar Express Lane workshops, while winning over customers from independent garages. Everywhere, like in France with Feu Vert who we supply with our original parts, we are developing part- nerships and agreements with indepen- dents and key accounts to reach customers where they are and where they are heading. We never forget that in the end, it is always the consumer who decides!