Think back to where you were last year at this time. How much has changed? Perhaps you have changed suppliers. Maybe your business was caught up in the consolidation the aftermarket has seen in the last 12 months. Or maybe you are looking at your current situation, thinking that rising gas prices, inventory concerns and other issues are no different than 2007.
This year’s 34th annual Car Care Center study shows that stores across the board, whether an auto store or department store, are trying to stay on the path to success in a changing aftermarket. It was a good year in 2007 for most of our study respondents, with sales and gains staying close to what they were in 2006.This year’s respondents report overall annual percentage gains of 2.7 percent for chemicals — a 1 percent increase over 2006.They also show a 2.2 percent increase for accessories and a 3.1 percent increase for hard parts. Respondents’ 2008 sales projections also are similar to what was anticipated for 2007.They expect gains of 2.6 percent in chemical sales, 2.3 percent for accessories and 3.3 percent for hard parts. The one downside in this year’s report is average gross margins, which are between 4 percent and 5 percent lower than in 2007’s report.This year, respondents report average gross margins of 23.3 percent for chemicals, 26.1 percent for accessories and 28.7 percent for hard parts. Taking a look at our respondents, 31 percent are the president or owner of their business or company, while 27 percent says they are managers. More than half work in a retail office, and the Southwest, Southeast, Northeast and Midwest each represent about a quarter of respondents, while the Northwest felt only a 4 percent response rate, all in line with last year’s responses. Whether respondents were reporting on their location only or providing information about a whole chain of stores, this year’s study represents 15,264 locations. The following are downloadable files for the Aftermarket Business Market Research section. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files. This program is available as a free download from the Adobe Web site. Air Compressors
Air Fresheners
Appearance & Maintenance
Batteries
Battery Chargers
Braking Products
Chassis
Climate Control
Diagnostic Tools
Engine Treatments
Exhaust
Filters
Fuel Pumps
Hood Shields
Oxygen Sensors
Shocks & Struts
Shop Towels
Spark Plugs
Touch up Paint
Water Pumps
Wax & Polish
Wiper Blades To see results from our 2001 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2001) click here To see results from our 2002 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2002) click here To see results from our 2003 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2003) click here To see results from our 2004 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2004) click here To see results from our 2005 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2005) click here To see results from our 2006 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2006) click here To see results from our 2006 Car Care Center Study (published in April 2007) click here
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