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NAPA Enhances its Virtual Vendor XPO Format

Autosphere » Mechanical » NAPA Enhances its Virtual Vendor XPO Format
NAPA XPO Sale organizing committee member Patrick Couillard, accompanied by Keven Ouellet and Patrick Gagnon of Victoire Événements et Web, the company who designed the event’s exclusive website. Photo Jean Rodier

The virtual edition of the 2022 NAPA Vendor XPO will take place from August 29 to October 7. For the second year in a row, this virtual event will be held on a national level.

NAPA repair shop customers from across Canada will be able to browse the virtual exhibitor booths and stock up on products, equipment and tools for the upcoming fall and winter months. They will also be able to take advantage of special pricing and a variety of great incentives.

A total of 5,474 prizes were distributed during the 2021 edition. Participants will be accompanied throughout the event by their NAPA store representatives to advise them and help them finalize their purchases. For six weeks, repair shop partners will have online access to a wide range of products at unbeatable prices.

Great new features

To further enhance the 2022 NAPA Vendor XPO participant experience, new and exciting features will be introduced, including access to the complete product and price listings, advanced product selection and improved product categorization. These new industry-leading features will further enhance the customer experience.

Cross-country convenience

Because of the numerous health restrictions due to the pandemic in 2020, NAPA Quebec decided to launch a virtual NAPA XPO Vendor format for its repair shop network both in this region and the Atlantic provinces as well. In 2021, NAPA Canada decided to extend the event to its entire Canadian network.

Given the overwhelming success of the virtual event since 2020, NAPA Canada is continuing with this format this year. “The goal of the NAPA XPO Vendor is to provide an opportunity for our repair shop partners to stock up on products and tools at unbeatable prices. The virtual format makes it easier for us to achieve this goal and reach shops from across the country. We are also fortunate to have our valued suppliers working with us to deliver quality products, making this a must-see event for the Canadian automotive aftermarket,” explained NAPA Canada’s Vice President of Marketing, John O’Dowd.

Unique platform

This success is based on a platform specifically designed by Quebec-based Groupe Victoire at NAPA’s request. “The big challenge,” explains Patrick Gagnon, president of this specialized firm, “was to virtualize a transactional event. It is a unique approach in the industry that goes much further than organizing a virtual conference. We had to focus on what trade show visitors are looking for: products, prices, and special offers. Our mandate was to provide these visitors with a value-added experience where they could find quality content relevant to their needs.”

The dedicated Vendor XPO website features exhibitors who present their products in dynamic virtual exhibit booths. As a result, repair shop professionals can find all the information they need regarding the equipment, tools, and products they are interested in. “It’s as if we had put an entire warehouse on the web,” explains Patrick Gagnon.

Browse and purchase

The platform has improved again this year, as visitors can shop at their convenience, at a time that suits them, and place the items of interest in a temporary shopping cart. “These two elements are complementary,” explains Patrick Couillard, NAPA regional sales manager and member of the Vendor XPO organizing committee. “On the one hand, the platform allows you to browse through the various product categories, and on the other, the new electronic purchase order has greatly simplified the process. When you add in the collaboration between the shops and the NAPA representatives, we have a winning formula across Canada.”

For Patrick Couillard, the link between the repair shop operator and the NAPA store representative is essential during this activity, which he describes as “the automotive aftermarket Big Boxing Day event”. From the outset, it is the NAPA representative who contacts the shop customers to grant access to the platform. When the shop operator decides to initiate a session, the NAPA rep is notified and will be available to quickly answer any questions that may arise. The representative will then validate the order before processing it.

“We have the sales history of each shop,” notes Patrick Couillard. “As a result, the representative accompanying the customer can recommend that they take advantage of the opportunity to buy the volumes they require.”

The great advantage of such a virtual event is that no matter where the shop operator is located in Canada, they will have access to the same information and the discounts without having to travel. The same goes for suppliers who can take advantage of this huge showcase without having to travel.

“The platform has evolved again this year,” continues Patrick Couillard. ” It’s a continuous improvement process. For example, in terms of content, we have technical product and informative videos, but also podcasts that talk about systems, such as suspensions. What’s more, the Vendor XPO, which lasts two days in person, will be available virtually over six weeks, with the continuous renewal of supplier offers.”

It should be noted that an increased number of suppliers will be participating in this edition of the NAPA Vendor XPO, as they recognize the importance of being part of it and taking advantage of this major event to differentiate themselves.

Beginning August 29, NAPA network shop owners and managers who have been granted access by their representative are invited to visit xpoventenapa.com for a truly unique industry experience.

 

Categories : Commercial, Mechanical
Tags : Event, NAPA

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