This article was originally published April 28, 2020. Some of the information may no longer be relevant, so please use it at your discretion.
The aftermarket surge in online sales continues, according to Hedges & Company data, although down slightly from the week of April 12-18.
Hedges & Company, a digital marketing agency serving the automotive aftermarket, OEM parts and powersports industries, updated its analysis of nearly eight million online user sessions and online purchases from parts and accessory websites in the U.S. and Canada. The analysis included retailer websites and manufacturers selling direct to consumer (DTC). The company has added additional websites to the analysis, resulting in some revisions, and started tracking more aftermarket market segments.
In the analysis, the company gave online sales from the week of March 1 an index of 100, before wide-spread shutdowns were in place. The week of April 19-25 had an index of 147, or a 47 percent overall increase in online sales of parts and accessories from seven weeks earlier. This is down slightly from a revised 153 the week of April 12-18.
Hedges & Company broke down the analysis into OEM replacement, truck and off-road, and performance racing. Here are the comparisons of the week of April 19-25 to the week of March 1-7:
- Overall aftermarket eCommerce sales including automotive, light truck and powersports — Index of 147 vs. 100 the week of March 1-7.
- OEM replacement parts sales — Index of 113 vs. 100, down from last week’s 125 but still in positive territory for two out of eight weeks.
- Truck and off-road parts sales — Index of 149, down from a revised 163 last week.
- Performance/racing parts sales — Index of 149, unchanged from last week.
- Powersports (new) — Index of 178, a 78 percent increase from the first week of March.
- Automotive aftermarket accessories (new) — Index of 147.
Hedges & Company is posting regular updates on the coronavirus crisis and COVID-19, and the impact to the automotive aftermarket, on the company’s website.
