Posts Tagged ‘ market trends ’

New Auto Market Research: Secrets of Parts Buyers Revealed

May 7, 2012

New BuyerZoom and BrandZoom 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...

2012 Online Sales of Auto Parts Growing

April 17, 2012

With the Catalyst 2012 conference in full swing this week in Las Vegas — ChannelAdvisor’s annual ecommerce gathering — we thought this would be a good time to examine online sales of auto parts, statistics and multichannel shopping. The growth in online sales of auto parts has been outpacing the rest of the industry for many years. In 2009 we saw the slowest growth rate at just under 10% over 2008. More recently, we’re seeing a robust growth rate again and we’re projecting online sales of auto parts to be just under $3.5 billion...

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...

New Automotive Market Research Reports Available for Purchase

December 19, 2011

New automotive aftermarket market research reports are now available for purchase online, direct from Hedges & Company’s new Market Research Store. These marketing research reports are based on consumer perceptions and opinion data, gathered after inviting over 100,000 automotive enthusiasts to participate in a market research survey, and include data never-before reported in the automotive aftermarket. These new research reports fall into two categories. BuyerZoom™ research reports are part-specific and analyze how enthusiast consumers shop for specific products including gaskets, camshafts, cylinder heads, carburetors, engine blocks, intake manifolds, valve springs, valves, rocker arms, pistons,...

Financial Benchmarking Program Allows Automotive Distributors, Manufacturers and Retailers to Measure Business Performance

September 22, 2011

The SEMA Financial Benchmarking program administered by Hedges & Company is accepting new participants. This market research program provides auto parts and accessory distributors, manufacturers and retailers exclusive, industry-specific sales forecasts and key performance indicators, with the ability to confidentially compare their company’s performance with other companies in the industry. The SEMA Financial Benchmarking program collects data from respondents through a simple questionnaire. Responses are aggregated and program participants receive a monthly report of metrics including year-to-date sales, sales forecasts, quick ratio, gross margin, inventory turns, customer return rate, sales per employee, operational overhead...

SEMA Market Research Report Analyzes Truck Ownership and Accessory Purchases

June 25, 2011

The SEMA 2011 Pickup Truck Market Research Report authored by Hedges & Company is available as a free download for SEMA members. Non-members may purchase a copy for $99.95 at SEMA.org/2011pickupreport. It dives deeper into the industry than SEMA’s previous research report from 2008. The U.S. light-truck market is incredibly broad. Used for general transportation, commercial applications and recreation, light trucks comprise the single largest category for businesses in the automotive specialty equipment industry. Trucks and truck accessories are so popular that they have laid claim to their own exhibit hall at the annual...

Groundbreaking SEMA Show Opinion Leaders Report Released; Measures Online Behavior

February 23, 2011

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has released a new market research report prepared by Hedges & Company covering results of the SEMA Show Opinion Leaders program. This is important to aftermarket companies because the feedback from the Opinion Leaders market research program is a big opportunity to better understand the buying process used by automotive enthusiasts. As with the previous year, Opinion Leaders Program participants were granted access to the SEMA Show. These enthusiasts completed a detailed survey to share their opinions and buying habits, and shared impressions from the SEMA Show through...

Why Was This Recession Different? It Was the Double-Dip In Auto Parts Sales

September 28, 2010

When looking at the auto parts retail segment of the economy, the Great Recession not only lasted longer than previous recessions, but our market research shows auto parts retail sales also had a double-dip. For all the talk in the news media earlier this year whether the recent recession would fall into a double-dip recession, the automotive aftermarket already had one.* And ironically sales for the aftermarket went into negative territory June 2009, when the current recession is now officially defined as ended. Confused? Read on. From December 2007 (the start of the Great...

What Should You Budget for Online Marketing?

September 3, 2010

Bryan Robb posted some interesting automotive marketing information over at Digital Throttle. He points out three compelling facts why he feels you should allocate at least 35% of your automotive marketing budget to online advertising. 1). The average consumer in the United States spends 12 hours per week on the Internet compared to three hours reading magazines. 2). 40% of consumer’s media time is spent using the Internet. 3). Consumers aren’t thinking in terms of “offline or online” any longer. Visiting an automotive enthusiast website is an extension of their hobby and lifestyle, like...

Hedges & Company Principals To Speak at SEMA Show

September 1, 2010

Tuesday, November 2 at 11:00 am, Julie Hedges, President of Hedges & Company, will speak about the SEMA Financial Benchmarking program in room N259 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. How does your business compare? The SEMA Financial Benchmarking Program was developed in order to provide SEMA members with financial benchmarks they could use to help measure and compare their business operations with others in the industry. Industry-specific key performance indicators are reported that can then be used by participants to improve or grow their businesses. The program provides business owners and managers information,...

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