Auto industry's first commerce platform

General Motors said it will equip it’s latest cars with the automotive industry’s first commerce platform for on-demand reservations and purchases of goods and services. With ‘Marketplace,’ drivers can order and pay for their favourite food, and much more, with a simple tap on the dashboard. Marketplace allows customers the opportunity to more safely interact with a growing number of their favourite brands in retail, fuel, hospitality, food, hotel and transportation through the in-vehicle touchscreen. Marketplace also features a “Shop” section dedicated to offers specific to GM vehicles, for instance purchasing Wi-Fi data, discounts for an oil change or deals on GM accessories. Simple on-screen notifications can identify relevant offers. “The average American spends 46 minutes per day on the road driving. Leveraging connectivity and our unique data capabilities, we have an opportunity to make every trip more productive and give our customers time back,” said Santiago Chamorro, vice president for Global Connected Customer Experience, GM. “Marketplace is the first of a suite of new personalisation features that we will roll out over the next 12 to 18 months to nearly four million U.S. drivers.” “For most retailers and consumer brands the daily commute is the only time not accessible in a consumers’ day,” said Chamorro. “Marketplace gives merchants the ability to more safely engage with drivers and passengers in a meaningful way that provides true value for our customers.” Marketplace is designed to be used while driving. It uses machine learning from real-time interaction data, such as location, time of day and a driver’s established digital relationship with third-party merchants. GM designs its in-vehicle systems to minimise manual interactions, which in turn allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.