Cars are the newest commodity that Amazon, which began as the “everything store” in its mission to become the online shopping destination.

According to a statement from the corporation, buyers in the US will be able to peruse and buy cars from dealers on Amazon beginning in the next year.

“Changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online” is the stated goal of the action, according to the head of Amazon.

According to the statement, at first, just the Hyundai brand would be available.

Although they still make up a very small portion of the total automobile industry, online sales during the pandemic significantly exceeded expectations that consumers would not make such a large purchase.

Forecasters predict that in the upcoming years, these sales will account for a larger portion of the company’s revenue.

“There is certainly a segment of the population, which I believe is growing, which has huge trust in Amazon and other online retailers and they may prefer to never interact with another human being when purchasing a vehicle,” said Alan Haig, president of Haig Partnership, a Florida-based firm that advises on car dealer mergers and acquisitions.

What makes this revelation “transcendent,” he continued, is that Amazon, an already-dominant brand and player in online retail, is getting engaged.

“It’s no longer a new app that somebody would have to load … it’s sitting on their phone already,” he stated.

Amazon began as an online bookseller in 1994 and has since made significant inroads into a number of other industries, including cloud computing, finance, and healthcare.

More than 20 years ago, it ventured into the realm of online car shopping by investing on a website.

It introduced a “online showroom” with Hyundai a few years ago, where customers could peruse automobiles. Up until now, the last sale has taken place at a dealer, off the site.

Working with Amazon, according to Jaehoon (Jay) Chang, president of Hyundai Motor Co., will enable the company to “grow our sales network, transition to electrification and realise the future of smart mobility.”

As per the agreement, new cars built after 2025 would come equipped with Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant. Hyundai also agreed to pay Amazon for cloud services over a number of years.

Amazon does not disclose the number of dealers that have consented to take part or any more information regarding the nature of the dealer relationship. It stated that it anticipated that sales will start in the “later part of 2024.”

“Customers will be able to search on Amazon for available vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, colour, and features, choose their preferred car, and then check out online with their chosen payment and financing options,” it said in its announcement.

“This new shopping experience will create another way for dealers to build awareness of their selection and offer convenience to their customers.”

Haig said some dealers may be wary, worried about how much of a cut Amazon might demand of their business and the distance using the platform will introduce between their firm and the customer.

But they also stand to benefit, if using Amazon makes sales easier, and thus more frequent, or allows dealers to save on advertising,

“There’s going to have to be a balance established where all parties would benefit,” he said.

Shares in car sellers known for their online presence dropped following the announcement, with Carvana ending the day down more than 5%.

(Adapted from APNews.com)