Case study: Carolina Racing Supply e-Commerce Implementation
In 2017, Carolina Racing Supply, a supplier of circle track racing parts based in Mooresville, NC, reached out to Terracor Solutions to build a zeckoShop e-commerce platform to take their in-store business onto the web and help them build a competitive advantage in their niche. The successful e-commerce implementation by Terracor Solutions has enabled Carolina Racing Supply to expand their business reach beyond their physical store and cater to a wider audience, resulting in increased sales and a stronger market position in the circle track racing parts industry.
About Carolina Racing Supply
Carolina Racing Supply was founded by Tom Sandal and Missy Barnette in 1999 with a vision to supply racers with quality, affordable components. Tom and Missy shared a passion for motor racing and realized that there was a gap in the market for the local hobbyist racers who found it difficult to get the parts they needed because most suppliers focused on the professional market, and opened in “Race City,” Mooresville, North Carolina.
They initially set up shop in a 3,000-square-foot rented building, later moving into a 7,000-square-foot facility they now own. Their inventory includes their own in-house line, TomCat Performance, supplied to a nationwide dealer network. The company does over $2 million in sales, with roughly 85% wholesale and 15% retail. While wholesale is dominant, retail is their strongest growth area, making an effective website essential.
How e-Commerce Implementation Transformed Carolina Racing Supply’s Business Model
For years, the company relied on in-store and phone sales, believing e-commerce wouldn’t work for racing parts. As Missy explained:
“Our feeling had always been that when you’re selling something like a race car part, you have to be able to talk to people… It became more and more obvious that we were wrong about that.”
Competitors with functioning websites were growing while Carolina Racing Supply stagnated. Expanding into tire sales added turnover but was low-margin and drained resources, leading them to refocus on parts in 2016. Without a website, they lagged behind and needed reach beyond their local market. Learning about zeckoShop led them to Terracor Business Solutions.
Terracor Solutions’ E-commerce Implementation: The Reason Behind the Partnership
Missy and Tom chose Terracor Business Solutions and the zeckoShop platform because it:
- Integrated with their existing Spire business software for real-time updates.
- Allowed them to host both retail and wholesale websites.
- Offered affordable value with ongoing support.
Missy reflects:
“The support has been wonderful. Just knowing that whether I have a question about functionality or if there’s a problem, it’s just an email away, and someone answers. There’s no cost on top of a cost to get that answer. In the end, it has all worked out great.”
How Terracor’s Solutions Unlocked Their Potential
From 2016 to 2018, the company struggled, but launching the new site in late 2018 brought hope:
“Once we started working with Terracor on the website, it gave me hope.”
They soon saw results. The site expanded reach, enabled internet advertising and promotions, and increased order volume.
Missy concludes:
“It would be so much harder to reach new customers outside of our immediate area without having the web store. We do a lot of internet advertising, and it all drives directly to the website. Once visitors get to the website, they see who we are and what we can offer, and we really feel that our website represents us.”