Rapid growth of ecommerce sales continues in the nation, with no slowdown in sight, according to a number of recent online studies. In fact, one prominent forecast points at this year’s online sales growing faster than at any time since 2011.

So what can motorcycle and powersports dealerships do to combat the rise in e-sales? That will be one of the focuses of an upcoming parts manager training program hosted by Garage Composites, an industry training and 20 club provider.

Garage Composites’ parts and apparel Management Training Academy is an in-depth, 7-month program that teaches managers what benchmarks will increase profitability, not to mention the management tools necessary to get those initiatives implemented.

Part of the in-depth program will focus on ways to win back the Internet-shopping powersports customer.

“How do you create the type of relationship with the consumer that can’t be duplicated online? How do you create an easy-to-buy atmosphere in the dealership that goes way beyond the potential buy-and-return headaches often associated with ecommerce?” says Stennis Prochnow, a longtime powersports dealership operator who is now leading the P&A Management Training Academy for Garage Composites. “That’s what we’ll be focusing on in the training.”

Online sales are expected to hit a double-digit percentage of all retail sales in the United States for the first time within the next two years, according to a study published by eMarketer.com.

Garage Composites’ in-depth parts manager training program will not only delve into ways to win over the Internet shopper, but also focus on apparel strategies for metric, Harley and European brand stores.

The P&A training program begins in August with the first of three multi-day classes held over the fall, winter and spring. For more information contact Garage Composites’ Neil Pascale at [email protected].