Dealerships may have reservations about aftermarket parts quality, but their cost rescues the market from lagging sales.
Sixty one percent of respondents in the Aftermarket Business World Dealership Product Study reported quality is their primary concern when purchasing aftermarket parts. However, the majority also reported that price is the main incentive that entices them to use aftermarket parts in their dealerships.
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When purchasing parts, respondents were almost evenly split on their preferred supplier, with jobbers, retailers, warehouse distributors and OEMs each being selected by approximately one-fourth of participants. And, nearly half — 42 percent — report that they use two suppliers for their aftermarket parts needs.
Service and repair on used cars that are out of warranty make up the bulk of business brought to dealerships, and these customers are most concerned with product quality, price and OEM form, fit and function, results show.
Overall, aftermarket product sales and gross margins have held steady when compared to 2010 figures, and are expected to continue on this path going into 2012, respondent report.
View the complete results here.
METHODOLOGY: The Aftermarket Business World Dealership Product Study was administered to dealer readers via email. The results were compiled using a small pool of respondents and are meant to show general trends in the market.
About the Author
Krista McNamara
Krista McNamara is the former Editorial Director for the Vehicle Repair Group at Endeavor Business Media. She oversaw five brands — Motor Age, PTEN, Professional Distributor, ABRN and Aftermarket Business World. She worked in the automotive aftermarket industry for more than 15 years.