Posts Tagged ‘ auto parts ’

September Slowdown for Auto Parts Retail Sales

November 14, 2012

Retail sales through auto parts stores were down again compared to one year ago. September sales were down 4% from September 2011, following a 1% decline in August. Auto parts retail sales for the first half of 2012 posted better than a 5% increase from 2011, aided in part by unseasonably warm weather in January and February; the second half of this year tells a different story, however. The third quarter ended with about a 1% decrease from the third quarter of 2011. Total October retail sales as reported by the government were down 0.3% from September, a sign...

Trend 2: Purchase Frequency by Vehicle Owned

October 28, 2012

Have you ever wondered how often enthusiasts tend to buy parts and accessories? We surveyed more than 2,500 enthusiasts to find out how often they make a purchase and arranged the information by what type of vehicle they bought for. We surveyed enthusiasts and asked the question, “How often do you buy parts or accessories for your vehicle?” We also asked what vehicle they purchased parts for in order to better understand any trends within certain segments. We found that, on average, 50% of all different types of vehicle owners buy once a month or more. Owners of street...

Trend 4: Enthusiasts: Time Between Decision and Actual Purchase

October 26, 2012

Today, we are going to look at some of our own research to better understand how long it takes an enthusiast to actually purchase a product after they have made the decision to buy. As a part of our own syndicated Hedges & Company research, we sought to find out how long it took enthusiasts to make the actual purchase after deciding to buy. We surveyed more than 2,500 enthusiasts, and asked them what the average length of time was from when they decide to buy a part or accessory to when they actually buy. The data shows that,...

Trend 7: 3 Things Aftermarket Retail Stores Need to Stay Ahead of the Curve

October 23, 2012

There’s a lot of competition in the automotive aftermarket—retail stores have to compete with online prices and specialty parts catalogs, and the seemingly endless selection that both provide. So what advantages do retail stores have that can keep them ahead of the competition? 1). Customer service: When customers enter an automotive parts store, they aren’t just looking for a part, many need help. Parts stores have an advantage over non-retail entities in the fact that their employees can actively provide help in a personal environment. Employees are able to explain benefits of certain products, ask open-ended questions about the...

Trend 18: Where Consumers Find Information on Engine Parts, by Age Group

October 12, 2012

Today we are going to look at some of our own research to give you an idea of where enthusiasts go to find information about engine parts. We will also look at how certain age groups tend to visit different outlets to find their answers. As a part of our own syndicated Hedges & Company research, we sought to find out where enthusiasts find information about engine components. We surveyed 2,768 enthusiasts and asked them where they tend to look for information. Their choices were the following: mail order catalog, social media sites, garage, independent shop, blogs, chain parts...

Trend 24: Where Crankshaft Buyers Find Information

October 6, 2012

Have you ever wondered where automotive enthusiasts find information about products, vehicles, maintenance, and what’s going on in the automotive world? We surveyed automotive enthusiasts who had recently bought or shopped for crankshafts to learn about their information gathering habits. Enthusiasts tend to seek information on the internet, in mail order catalogs and through parts and accessories manufacturers more than anywhere else. Listed below are the 15 sources where buyers get their information. Where buyers find information: Blog Social Media Site (Facebook, LinkedIn…) Magazines Chain Parts Store Car Shows Garage Internet Search Independent Shop Manufacturer Mail order/Catalog Car/Truck Dealer...

Trend 52: Enthusiasts Rank The Most Reliable Carburetor Brands

September 8, 2012

Consumers base their purchases on all kinds of factors, such as customer service, ease of installation, innovative features, and much more. Today, we are going to look at what enthusiasts have to say about the reliability of the leading carburetor brands on the market. Our BrandZoom: Carburetors market research report contains data about consumers’ brand preferences and experiences, and is based on a survey of enthusiasts who had shopped for or purchased a carburetor. Out of 13 brands of carburetors, enthusiasts elected Advanced Engine Design (AED), Edelbrock, and Holley (in alphabetical order) as the top 3 most reliable brands...

Trend 57: Camshaft Buyers Look to Improve Performance in Their Vehicles

September 3, 2012

We hope you’re enjoying our countdown of automotive trends so far. Our 57th trend gives a look at camshaft consumers based on our surveys of enthusiasts who have purchased camshafts. Our BuyerZoom reports show consumer shopping habits and behavior based on surveys sent to over 3,000 automotive enthusiasts. Our BuyerZoom: Camshafts report shows seven out of ten reported purchasing to improve performance of their vehicle. Nearly three out of five said that the camshaft was purchased for a street performance vehicle or a race car. Respondents were able to choose multiple answers on both of these survey questions. What...

Trend 59: Total Automotive Part Numbers

September 1, 2012

The automotive aftermarket has focused a lot on product data standards in the past few years, so have you ever wondered how many total part numbers are in the automotive aftermarket? In the entire automotive aftermarket, including specialty parts and accessories, branded replacement parts and private label replacement parts, there are approximately 6 to 7 million base part numbers. (What’s a “base” part number? A part number that doesn’t explode to thousands of additional SKUs via different colors or shapes, for example, automotive carpeting.) This 6 to 7 million number includes what you might think of as the “SEMA”...

Trend 60: 3 Intake Manifold Brands With Highest Brand Awareness

August 31, 2012

Our 60th trend gives a look at top intake manifold brands most recognized by consumers. Brand awareness is a very important metric for any aftermarket brand. Results are based on our surveys to over 3,000 automotive enthusiasts who had shopped for or purchased intake manifolds. Survey respondents were able to choose from a list of intake manifold brands they were familiar with. It was multiple choice so they were able to choose more than one brand. They were also able to write-in any brand that was not on the list. Of the 17 total brands in the report, Edelbrock, Holley...

New Auto Market Research: Secrets of Parts Buyers Revealed

May 7, 2012

New BuyerZoom and BrandZoom research reports are available through the Hedges & Company Market Research Store. We’ve added new reports covering engine bearings, carburetors, connecting rods, cylinder heads, engine blocks, performance fasteners, fuel and oil pumps, gaskets, lifters, pistons, push rods, rocker arms, valves, and valve springs. For the first time in the automotive aftermarket it is possible to obtain affordable research reports focused on buyers of specific types of parts. BuyerZoom reports give you extensive behavioral data on consumers who shopped for or purchased specific types of parts, while BrandZoom reports show consumer perceptions and opinions on brands...

Americans Spend More Income on Auto Parts, Reversing Long-Term Trend

January 23, 2012

A bit of good news to add to our post last month that sales of auto parts for 2011 will show an increase over 2010: Our market research shows the amount of auto parts purchased as a percentage of personal income has reversed a downward trend of more than 10 years. In 2010, retail sales of auto parts represented about half a percent of personal income (0.0513% to be exact). Preliminary numbers for 2011 show the first increase in that percentage in more than 10 years, to levels not seen since 2008. We’re projecting just over 0.052% of personal...

Are Manufacturers the Catalyst for the Specialty Equipment Industry?

September 13, 2010

Are specialty equipment manufacturers the light at the end of the tunnel? In a recent SEMA Financial Benchmarking research report, 70% of manufacturers reported an increase in year-to-date sales through June 2010. This optimism seems to continue through the fall months as 64% of the manufacturers expect sales to improve by an average of 17.5% through August, September, and October. However, retailers and distributors do not share that nearly unbridled enthusiasm. In the same market research report, 48% of retailers report an increase and 52% of distributors report increase in year-to-date sales for the first half of 2010. Their...

A Checklist If You’re Thinking of Selling Online

August 30, 2010

A friend of ours, Rob Eberhart, posted a good checklist to follow if you’re considering selling automotive performance parts and accessories online. Rob’s an expert on selling auto parts online and works at Direct Communications, Inc. (DCi), and his blog is over on the CatalogRack eStore site, found here. His checklist is good advice for anyone starting out. His six most important things to check off: 1). First, decide how you’ll sell online: turnkey website, through shopping sites like eBay, or build your own site from scratch (very expensive!). 2). Don’t forget the data! The average online store sells...

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