Car shopping, Amazon style.

They started selling books, then moved on to selling pretty much everything else. So it shouldn’t  come as much of a surprise that now Amazon is moving into the auto industry.

As Driving Sales explains, Amazon’s new partnership with Fiat Chrysler will only be active in Italy. But it does have the dealership world wondering what the future of their automotive ambitions might hold.

The Amazon/Fiat Chrysler process isn’t exactly a traditional sales structure. Once they’ve made their purchase, Italian shoppers will be connected with an actual dealer to finalize the transaction. But Amazon’s foray into the auto world doesn’t stop there. The retailing giant has also launched Amazon Vehicles, which provides a platform for reading and writing reviews of vehicles, rather than actually making any purchases. While that’s where it is today, there’s no telling what future plans may be for the platform.

Because buyers still want to drive a vehicle before they buy it, it’s unlikely this partnership will transform the shopping experience in the very near future. But, while Amazon has yet to comment on these developments, there’s one thing you can be sure of: the world’s biggest retailer is big on disrupting industries of all kinds. And their Italian endeavor may be just the beginning of their involvement in auto sales. It’s a call for dealerships to adapt, evolve, and stay ahead continually.