Carvana, a well-known e-commerce platform revolutionizing how individuals buy and sell used cars, has broadened its reach to industry buyers with the launch of CarvanaACCESS. This platform offers franchised and independent car dealerships a new avenue to purchase wholesale vehicles directly from Carvana’s extensive inventory. While Carvana is recognized for its direct-to-consumer model, the introduction of CarvanaACCESS raises questions about its engagement with dealerships in the wholesale market. This article delves into CarvanaACCESS, exploring how it operates and what it means for dealerships looking to source vehicles.
CarvanaACCESS platform provides dealerships access to wholesale inventory, changing how dealers source used vehicles.
CarvanaACCESS is essentially a direct-purchase platform designed to facilitate wholesale transactions between Carvana and registered car dealerships. As Carvana acquires vehicles through consumer trade-ins and other wholesale channels across the nation, these vehicles become available on CarvanaACCESS.com. The platform operates as a “timed bid” online auction, powered by technology from Manheim Digital, a recognized name in automotive auctions. This setup ensures a structured and transparent bidding process for dealerships.
A key feature of CarvanaACCESS is the comprehensive vehicle information provided to potential buyers. Each vehicle listing includes detailed condition reports and 360-degree imagery. This level of transparency is crucial for dealerships making informed purchasing decisions in a wholesale environment, allowing them to assess vehicle quality and value remotely.
Scott Wood, Senior Director of Wholesale Operations at Carvana, highlighted the strategic importance of wholesale to Carvana’s business model. He noted the increasing interest from industry customers in Carvana’s wholesale inventory, mirroring the growing consumer adoption of Carvana’s online car buying experience. CarvanaACCESS is designed to capitalize on Carvana’s operational capabilities and Manheim Digital’s technological expertise, creating an efficient and innovative wholesale buying experience.
CarvanaACCESS provides dealerships with early access to a diverse inventory of wholesale vehicles. This includes recent trade-ins from retail customers, spanning various makes, models, years, and price points. The platform emphasizes competitive pricing, with a reported 90 percent first-run sales rate for Carvana wholesale vehicles. This high sales rate suggests that vehicles listed on CarvanaACCESS are both attractively priced and in demand among dealerships.
For dealerships interested in utilizing CarvanaACCESS, registration is available through CarvanaACCESS.com. The platform follows a weekly schedule, with vehicle previews starting on Thursday mornings and running through Friday mornings. Sales auctions then commence on Friday mornings and continue until Monday afternoons. This structured schedule allows dealerships to plan their inventory procurement activities effectively.
In summary, CarvanaACCESS represents Carvana’s strategic move to engage more directly with car dealerships in the wholesale market. While Carvana’s primary business remains focused on direct consumer sales, CarvanaACCESS opens up a significant opportunity for dealerships to source a wide range of wholesale vehicles through a transparent and technologically advanced online platform. This initiative leverages Carvana’s nationwide vehicle acquisition network and aims to streamline the wholesale buying process for dealerships. For dealerships wondering “will Carvana buy my car?”, it’s important to note that CarvanaACCESS is currently structured for dealerships to buy from Carvana’s wholesale inventory, rather than the other way around. However, the platform signifies Carvana’s growing influence and multifaceted approach within the broader automotive marketplace, impacting both retail and wholesale sectors.
