Halfords trials its new marketplace feature

Monday, July 27, 2015 - 12:16 by Graham Miller

Halfords is boosting its e-commerce credentials with the integration of an online marketplace, where thousands of products from brands not normally stocked by the store will be available, according to The Drum.

In 2014 the firm managed to sell over £100 million in products via safe shopping online and it has been encouraged by the growth seen in this segment. Now it is looking to broaden its horizons and offer an Amazon-style marketplace that third parties can use to engage with its customers.

Company spokesperson, Nina Morris, explained that its customers were more involved with the world of e-commerce than ever before, allowing for a quarter of its bike sales to be generated by its website alone.

Now the new marketplace feature will mean that a total of 30 other retail partners, offering more than 40,000 different products, will be able to sell them to consumers using Halfords’ existing platform for shopping online.

Morris said that a lot of online sales growth had been generated by the firm’s decision to launch a click and collect delivery option. It has even been making sales via auction site eBay, to capture a bigger slice of the market, so its digital ambitions are repeatedly being revised.

A number of other retailers have integrated a marketplace feature with their e-commerce sites. And by giving third party brands the ability to engage with customers via an interface they already trust, it can benefit all involved.

Halfords has undergone a number of changes in recent years in order to make itself more relevant in the modern market. And its work in the digital realm has certainly been key to its revived fortunes, with the stewardship of new chief exec, Jill McDonald, helping to see this marketplace project to fruition.