How Cartrend shifted gears Fewer returns. More miles.
Cartrend sells car accessories like wiper blades, floor mats, and mirror extenders in the German marketplace. Their catalog was wide but messy, reviews scattered, and ad spend bloated. We revamped their listings, rebuilt their PPC from scratch, and brought their Storefront to life with category-led navigation and video proof.
Brand Snapshot.
Industry: Automotive Parts & Accessories
Headquarters: Germany
Catalog: 14 parent ASINs, 60+ child variations
Price point: €8 to €49
Channel mix: Amazon DE primary, D2C secondary
Story in short: Their catalog structure confused buyers. Fitment data was buried. Ads were underperforming with no clear message. The Storefront had generic product groups instead of car-type clusters. We rebuilt every touchpoint to feel purpose-built for German car owners.
What we walked into.
- Poor CTR and high bounce rates from Sponsored Brands and Product ads
- Parent-child structure misused — separate ASINs for every car variant
- Fitment info hidden in third bullet point or not listed at all
- Catalog was missing mandatory EU compliance attributes
- Returns spiked from compatibility mismatches
What success would look like
- Ads that call out exact car model fit, price per set, and durability proof
- Parent-child variation rebuilt to improve UX and retain reviews
- Amazon Store built like a car configurator
- Returns down, conversion up, CTR lifted across ad types
How Maple made it stick.
Sort the parts
We rebuilt the catalog variation structure to group car models under fewer parent ASINs. Each listing now clearly states make, model, year, and side of the vehicle. We created rules for naming, attributes, and compliance fields across all 14 ASINs.
Match buyer journey
We mapped Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Products to key search behaviors like "VW Golf wiper blades" or "Audi A4 floor mats." Video ads demonstrated installation and weather protection in under 30 seconds. Storefront entry points led by car make, not product type.
Scale with structure
Negative keywords trimmed poor traffic. Campaigns split by intent tier and margin band. Retargeting ads pulled back past visitors with bundles and discounts. Localized copy and visuals matched the German shopper psyche.
Moves we made.
Ads
- Intent cluster campaigns for top makes: VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes
- Keyword grouping by car model and part type
- 30s video ads showing install process and weather durability
Creatives
- Ad copy with car model in headline
- Fit-check icons and visual bullet points
- Images showing before and after upgrade
Listings & A+
- Rewritten bullets to lead with fitment and material
- A plus with full compatibility chart and 3-click guide
- Warranty section localized and expanded
Storefront
- Entry blocks by car make and top sellers
- Seasonal landing page for winter accessories
- Bundle section with per-unit pricing visible
Catalog & Ops
- Compliance fields added (ECE, material, country of origin)
- Parent-child structure reformed to reduce ASIN bloat
- Fitment tag system created for backend indexing
Analytics
- Weekly report with ACoS, TACoS, and return ratio trends
- Dashboard by car type and spend cluster
- Review velocity tracker and sentiment map
Impact that matters.
First two weeks
- Return rate fell by 11 percent
- CTR up 15 percent on Sponsored Products
- 7 broken variation groups cleaned and reindexed
Weeks three to six
- CTR up 31 percent on SB video ads
- Return rate fell another 12 percent
- Revenue up 18 percent with lower refund volume
Weeks seven to twelve
- CTR lifted 41 percent across ad types
- Return rate dropped 33 percent from baseline
- Revenue climbed 29 percent with TACoS down 3.2 points
"We no longer need to explain fitment over email. Buyers land on the right part, the first time. We see the difference daily."
What we brought to the table.
- Full service account management
Tools used: Amazon DE Ads console, Helium 10, Looker Studio, MerchantSpring
Markets: Germany
From then to now.
Before
- Wrong traffic, high return rates
- Confusing catalog with no fit confirmation
- Storefront was generic and messy
- Listings skipped key compliance fields
After
- Traffic aligned to model-level searches
- Return rate dropped by one third
- Store built like a car compatibility tool
- Fitment clarity added across the catalog
Your move
If your catalog feels like a parking lot full of confusion, let’s fix that. Start with a free audit. We will build the clarity, trust, and structure your products need to move faster.
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