UAB “BOSO DALYS”
The beginning and journey to business digitalization
As Ovoko partners grow and develop, so do we, therefore we are very happy to share the success stories of our partners. We can confidently call UAB "Boso dalys" one of the partners of success. This is a young company selling used car parts located in Lithuania, in quite remote Pakruojis district.
Despite the fact that the company has existed for just over 4 years, they are able to grow and expand their activities very quickly by using e-commerce channels. Aras Alijošius, director of UAB "Boso dalys" shares his professional experiences and impressions in the article.
The company is young, but already had experience with used car parts
"We started quite simply. In the past, we used to find a customer, find out who needed what, and then just buy the parts we got the demand for. We didn't buy any cars or parts in general in order not to buy unnecessary stock. We used to handle the transportation of parts to order more, we focused mainly on heavier transport, commercial - buses and the like.
We used to call for some people and simply tell "look, I have this and that motor, or some other part" Then according to their needs we would find the part, transport it to Lithuania, directly to our customers, collect the money and after we would go back to work. This is what our beginning looked like.
Later on we saw how Ovoko works, opened a company and started working full cycle - buy, dismantle, upload listings online. Now we do not pay attention what car we buy, is it a French car, or any else, it does not matter for us. As long as the price is good." - Aras says.
While remembering how communication with Ovoko started Aras opens up, that there was no hesitation to join: "We are from the same place, Ovoko also somewhere here in Pakruojis district was "born" - one of the founders Justas is from here as well. So we saw how the online sales started we were working with car parts as well, but our demand was very low. So we decided to establish a company and from the very beginning we registered to work with Ovoko."
Were not one of the early-joiner partners, joined later
"No, we were not the first, other people had already started working much earlier. They've been working on this product for like 4 years already before we joined. We have only been working together with Ovoko for about 4 years as well now, when we joined we already knew that it works, that it is selling good through this platform, we saw that it is real. The marketplace had also already started to gain popularity. That's why we started right away with them."
When asked where the whole used car parts market is heading to and what part of their business is onsite sales, Aras says: "It's clear that we sell locally somewhat, you can't say that there's nothing at all, but a very little amount in fact, very little. We see that it would be impossible to survive on local sales without e-commerce."
Changed business model and its benefits
„It's a fact that the change of business model benefited us, otherwise we would be stuck in one place. We wouldn't be able to improve and go further. We started small, and now we make around 50.000 EUR in revenue each month. The beginning was not so powerful of course, but now the more parts we upload the more sales we have." - Aras says.
“We started working as a 2-3 people company, now there already are 8 of us. We are working with our premises renovation, prepared new administrational premises, expanded our warehouse since it was already needed for the growth. Also we are still building the warehouse extension."
Future plans and vision
"We don't just stand still – we buy, transport, and expand. We're determined not to throw in the towel and strive to fill our assortment with as many parts as possible. One of the key success factors is adding more and better parts. Everything needs to be contributed: both light bulbs and larger items. You upload everything in Ovoko at a higher price, pay taxes, but you'll make sales and won't be stuck with old stock.
They also have loyal online customers: "We have regular clients who buy in larger quantities, like 20 bumpers. It warms your heart right away! You come to work in the morning, and there's already 2-3 thousand euros in pre-orders overnight. You realize that the day is off to a good start." Aras rejoices.
What countries buys the most?
The parts business is changing and is gradually becoming global already, as confirmed by the CEO of UAB "Boso dalys": "For now, Lithuania remains our biggest market, but the French is quickly catching up, accounting for more than 15%. Italians are also actively joining in, and we've noticed interest from Spain and Portugal. Quite diverse, indeed. We ship our products worldwide, there's probably no country where our parts haven't reached, including even the most exotic ones."
Does the best-selling parts exist?
When asked what sells best, the CEO of UAB "Boso dalys" cannot single out a specific category: "There are often some parts that seem like they could be thrown away, but people are looking for them - hinges, door locks, engine hoses, things that may seem like not worth the money. But they sell. There is a high demand for parts worldwide, and Ovoko is heading in the right direction. If they conquer the whole of Europe, it will be better for everyone, both the customers and the sellers.
"We do use other platforms like Autoplius as well, of course, and we have our ads there. But it's very difficult for someone who's looking for a specific piece of plastic, struggling to explain that after opening the door, the plastic is either on the right or left side, but no one wants to waste time searching for some plastic worth 6-8 euros. They will immediately redirect the person - go to Ovoko, place an order. You'll save not only money but also your valuable time primarily because you won't have to call 40 junkyards and spend 3-4 hours waiting, as no one will want to deal with you for that small money."
Strategy what parts to upload and what to sell
"Nowadays, many cars are coming dismantled - we don't dismantle them in Lithuania, we do it abroad, but we bring everything here. So, we see that let's say one day headlights are in high demand, the next day it's control units, the third day it's bumpers, and then doors, and so on. We try to organize everything correctly because sometimes we accumulate, for example, 100 doors that need to be prepared and disassembled. We get them ready, upload them to Ovoko, and the next week we already know that purchases will start."
"There's no need to wait long; after listing a part, it often gets sold within 10-15 minutes. In the evening, our employees take photos, and then I just put the prices. Sometimes you list the prices, and boom, the recently posted product is already sold. Everything here is very quick and efficient. You never know when someone might be searching, and if a part is not listed in your system, it's impossible to find."
"The whole of Europe is buying, and they trust this platform. The feedback is consistently good and excellent. Sometimes, a person doesn't precisely know which of the three models is suitable for them, so to avoid any doubts, they order all three, and they will return the parts that don't fit. Of course, it takes a bit of the seller's time to pack and send them, but it's normal, I believe," Aras speaks about the convenience.
Misunderstandings are inevitable
When asked whether the online sales model brings additional difficulties, Aras doesn't see many problems: "There can be strange situations with returns, with orders, and sometimes customers can be unhappy or demanding. This is where our communication with them comes into play, as Ovoko customer support team mainly deals with customers. After all, there will always be some unsatisfied customers, used parts aren't always 100% perfect, and we can't always inspect them thoroughly. It's convenient that there's an option for returns, and uncertainties are resolved easily. Consultants assist in filling out return forms, they talk and communicate. They do a tremendous amount of work, which often goes unnoticed."
"If we had to do everything ourselves, we would need more people, and the workload would be much higher. Returns, acceptance – every day brings its challenges, and the larger the company, the greater the challenges," Aras explains.
Development and expansion together with Ovoko marketplace platform
Doubts about whether Ovoko can keep up with the growing market needs probably arise from time to time, as it's essential for all used car parts sellers. Aras has positive feedback about the platform: "Everything is convenient, and working with the system isn't complicated. Of course, there are some shortcomings, but whenever we raise concerns, they respond quickly – they look into it, make changes, and update. They've invested a lot, and even now, we see that Ovoko operates 'in the red,' according to their financial statements. It means they're still investing heavily in expansion; there's probably a lot of money involved."
"Updates are constant. For instance, I recently saw that now I can select all the parts added in 2019 and apply a 20% discount to all of them. Because it's been four years, and at that time, maybe the Golf 7 was popular, but now everyone is looking at the Golf 8. So, there's no need to go through each part individually; we can apply a mass discount. It's a useful tool to prevent those parts from sitting in the warehouse. Although even those old parts still sell to this day too, even though we added them for example four years ago."
The future of used parts market
"We can see that everything is changing rapidly in Scandinavia – everyone is transitioning to electric vehicles. I believe we are lagging behind them by about 10-15 years, so it will take some time before this trend reaches us. However, they are not just buying electric cars; they also have hybrid and conventional vehicles. We are also trying to diversify our inventory, and currently, we have Tesla models and hybrids available. We respond to market changes, and the demand will come sooner or later," Aras discusses future predictions.
Recommendations for other used car parts sellers
Providing advice to colleagues is not always easy, as everyone's history and experiences are very diverse. However, Aras's main piece of advice is to expand one's business into the online space: "Connecting with Ovoko is definitely worth it. It's worth it just for the sales alone because what you might consider throwing away, you can sell in there. I've convinced more than one junkyard to join because there's a community here. I once visited someone in Tauragė, saw that their junkyard was quite extensive, and the director was from an older generation, so it was harder for him to grasp the concept. I told him - there's so much on those shelves, but you don't even know what you have; it's impossible to keep all that information in your head. Here using Ovoko, you have a system with all the necessary information - you can see where each part is, when it was added, what sells the most - it's very convenient."
"So, I advised him to get a few people and start listing parts gradually, emphasizing the importance of making that initial effort. Now, I visited again - he has about 5,000 parts in the system, and he says that sales have already started, and he feels a change."
We invite everyone to find the path of their success!
UAB "Boso dalys" initially started their business by sourcing specific parts for the customers on demand and delivering them. With the help of Ovoko, they transitioned to working with a full cycle - maintaining their own warehouse with inventory and selling parts in large quantities. The digital Ovoko platform became their primary sales channel, and in four years, they achieved an impressive monthly sales volume of €50,000. The company initially operated with just a few employees, but now they have eight and continue to expand their facilities and operations. They are also actively working on expanding their product range and attracting customers from across Europe. UAB "Boso dalys" considers the Ovoko platform an excellent tool for trading in automotive parts because it helps them adapt efficiently to market changes and offer customers a wide range of used parts whenever they want to make a purchase. We are delighted to contribute to the success of these partners and share their story.
Want to become one of the success story examples?
Join us and create your success - join.ovoko.com!
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.