General Motors to kill Marketplace, its in-car shopping app

In early December, 2017, General Motors launched the Marketplace app, describing it as "the automotive industry’s first commerce platform for on-demand reservations and purchases of goods and services." Sadly, it looks like the time has come for this service to be discontinued, a sad event which will take place next month.

According to General Motors, the main reason for this is the fact that Xevo, a connected car software supplier, has decided to leave the business. However, once the Marketplace app goes down, vehicle owners will be able to buy various products using third-party apps available for their infotainment systems.

The good part is that General Motors aims to return with a better similar product, based on the feedback obtained during Marketplace's years of activity. A spokesperson with the company said that "Based on our learnings, as well as evolving customer needs and preferences, GM is building on and expanding its existing voice, apps, and map capabilities to better integrate in-vehicle commerce opportunities."

Although General Motors still needs to announce the name and date of arrival for Marketplace's successor, they will probably move fast. Right now, Ford and BMW are using Amazon's Alexa for both shopping and smart home control, while Audi is working with Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, and other Chinese brands to bring integrated services to its autonomous cars. 

Buy Intelligent Manufacturing: Reviving U.S. Manufacturing Including Lessons Learned from Delphi Packard Electric and General Motors (by R. Bick Lesser) on Amazon