JL Audio Sets E-Tail Program With Dealers

By Amy Gilroy -- TWICE, 12/15/2008

MIRAMAR, FLA. — JL Audio announced it is working with Shopatron to launch a program to sell products from the Internet that may be picked up at a JL Audio dealer or shipped to the customer from that dealer.

The program will generate new retail sales for dealers and will also help cut shipping costs to JL Audio, said Shopatron.

Consumers will be able to purchase JL Audio car and marine audio products from the JL Audio Web site starting in January. Under the program, if a Web order comes in from a customer in Washington state, a local dealer then gets the order and ships the product. Shopatron reimburses the dealer for the product, shipping and taxes. The consumer may also elect to pick up the product directly from the dealer.

"For the retailer in Washington state that probably doesn't even have a Web site, all of a sudden, he has a presence on the Internet because he's a participating authorized dealer of JL Audio. So he's able to get an order that he would never have seen," explained Shopatron regional director Phil Weir.

JL Audio said the program has been successful in other industries and it gives the retailer a chance to convert an Internet buyer into an in-store customer.