Solving the $50B Problem Dealers Forgot

In this episode of the PartsEdge Podcast, Kaylee sits down with Alex Hines, VP of North America at Eccentric, to unpack one of the dealership world’s biggest blind spots: accessories. With a $50 billion market up for grabs—and only 5% of that funneling through franchise dealers—Alex shares how he’s helping stores reclaim lost ground from Amazon and other third-party sellers.

It started with a startup. Alex and his brother launched XSRE in 2024 to give dealers a fighting chance at capturing accessory sales by embedding upsell moments into the car-buying journey. Fast forward one year, their company was acquired by Eccentric, a global powerhouse in 3D vehicle visualization. Together, they’re now rolling out tools that merge data, design, and dealer profitability.

Why Accessories Don’t Sell—and How to Fix It

Most salespeople don’t bring up accessories. Why? “They’re selling scared,” Alex says. Accessories aren’t tied to commission, and no one wants to jeopardize the car deal. So consumers leave the lot… and go straight to Amazon.

Eccentric’s approach solves that at the root: by letting consumers express accessory interest at the moment of lead submission—before a salesperson ever enters the picture. This bypasses outdated training and commission models by capturing intent early.

The Power of 3D + Personalization

At the heart of their strategy is a seamless 3D configurator that lets consumers see accessories live on their exact vehicle—down to trim, color, and VIN-level detail. Think: Sims for your Jeep Wrangler. It’s highly visual, fully interactive, and—thanks to Eccentric’s proprietary engine—doesn’t require costly cloud rendering.

This tech powers two main tools:

• Frequently Bought Together – a smart e-commerce-style upsell on VDP pages

• Accessory Visualizer – a post-sale engagement tool for buyers within 90 days

Together, they help dealers create frictionless accessory conversations that drive more installs, better margins, and stronger customer relationships.

Aligning Front-End & Inventory

As Kaylee points out, this all connects directly to inventory management. If demand is being captured at the top of the funnel, it should guide what parts departments stock. Alex agrees—and sees a huge opportunity for vendors like PartsEdge and Eccentric to work together, creating a feedback loop between consumer demand and inventory optimization.

From lead to delivery (and even post-sale), Alex’s vision is clear: bring modern e-commerce principles to the showroom, empower customers to personalize their rides, and help dealers win back revenue that’s been leaking for years.

Takeaways

• Accessories are a $50B market, and dealers are leaving 95% of it on the table

• Most salespeople avoid accessories because they’re not compensated to sell them

• Capturing intent early in the buying journey can bypass sales training limitations

• 3D visualizers and data-driven upsells create a better customer experience and better margins

• Post-sale follow-ups are a huge untapped opportunity for personalized accessory marketing

Quote

“We're not trying to change behavior across 5,000 rooftops. We're capturing interest before the process ever breaks.” — Alex Hines

Connect

Elena Ciccotelli
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 Eccentric Website

Kaylee Felio
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 www.partsedge.com