Auto Mall is the largest B2B dealer of automotive parts in Moldova. More than 1,200 customers, mostly car repair shop operators and spare parts dealers, appreciate the quality of its products, three quarters of which come from German manufacturers. Looking to expand its range further, the business sent Marketing Manager Sergiu Macari to Germany for the Manager Training Programme. While there, he negotiated a long-term cooperation agreement with Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH & Co. KG, a hidden champion in spare parts production. Now his task is to position the brand and increase the sales of Bilstein products.
In the next three years, Auto Mall plans to sell €1 million in Bilstein products. Macari has drafted an extensive marketing plan with various campaigns to achieve the set sales targets. These include discounts on Bilstein products and attractive special services for customers. Customers who opt for Bilstein products also receive additional mobile phone or data packages and the firm offers product training courses. The 36-year-old business data processing specialist recently introduced these measures to promote sales and brand loyalty. Auto Mall, however, did previously sell products from the Baden-Württemberg family business, although on a much smaller scale. Under the new contract, the Moldovan market leader now offers a wide assortment of automobile products from Bilstein’s “Swag” and “Blueprint” lines. The lorry product range was also expanded. “We used to only offer filters and oil for lorries; now we have Bilstein’s entire “febi” lorry brand with more than 37,000 different products”, Macari says. Since September 2018, Auto Mall has also been an official dealer of ElringKlinger GmbH, another spare parts producer and also a world market leader, though for seals for engine parts. Here, too, Macari is committed to a lasting relationship and has concluded a three-year cooperation agreement with the Baden-Württemberg-based firm.
Improving Marketing
Auto Mall’s purchasing department was recently restructured into two departments, Product Management and Marketing and Advertising, to help the firm grow faster. These units are no longer only active in purchasing and sales; they also assess the market and identify new opportunities. Four new employees were hired to provide support. In addition, Auto Mall regularly organizes forums, exhibitions and conferences on key topics with national and international guests.
Growth Market Moldova
Moldova’s economy is growing at a rate of around four per cent and motor vehicle sales recently grew by almost six per cent. “Our parts have been used in one in four cars in this country either during routine services or for repairs”, Macari, who has the aftersale market in Moldova pretty much sewn up, reports. But he does not view profit as the most important measure of success, and sees the personal benefits he received from the MP as more valuable than any signed contract. “Touring Bilstein showed me the real spirit of entrepreneurship. I met with employees who identified with the firm and were enthusiastically behind it. That made a lasting impression on me”, Macari recalls. He shares his experiences with employees and customers, and passing on German values like discipline, respectability and loyalty is very dear to his heart. After all, sometimes these count more towards an enterprise’s success than just the bottom line.