Alex

Arch Auto Parts, an auto parts supplier in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, New York, has reported strong sales of OE-quality parts resulting from explosive growth in rideshare services Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via, and on-demand delivery services. In the past four years, NYC ride-hail app pickups have grown from zero to 15 million trips per month, according to NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) data, via toddwschneider.com. About half of NYC ride-hail pickups are in the outer boroughs, where taxis have historically been less prevalent. Ride-hail app services now make approximately 10 times more pick-ups than green and yellow taxis combined in the outer boroughs. The surge in Uber, Lyft and other commercial drivers is good news for Arch Auto Parts, which reports a spike in demand for competitively priced, OE-quality parts. To maintain their TLC license, vehicles used for Uber and Lyft must pass inspections at least every four months, so drivers stay on top of service and repairs and closely track expenses. Arch Auto Parts says it provides these independent contractors in-stock availability of OE-quality parts, at deep discount prices typically only available to commercial fleets. “Many Uber and Lyft drivers log more than 50,000 miles per year, so they quickly reach their vehicle manufacturer’s warranty limit. They still want OE-quality parts, but without the high dealer prices,” said Lucy Henner, Arch Auto Parts vice president of marketing. “These high-mileage drivers are opting for high-quality parts not only for better performance, but also to reduce their total service expenses. Labor charges are the biggest component of most repair bills. They don’t want to pay labor charges to service the car twice, when an OE-quality part will often last twice as long.” In New York City, ride-hailing services made 65 percent more pickups than taxis by late 2017, according to NYC TLC data. In January 2018, there were approximately 564,000 daily ride-hail app pickups, including Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via. Compared to 12,600 total yellow taxis dispatched per week in January 2018, there were 58,500 vehicles providing Uber service, many of which also work with Lyft, Juno, Via or other rideshare or delivery services. In Manhattan, taxis and ride-hail app services now make about the same number of trips. Strongest ride-hail growth is in Queens and Brooklyn. Based on data Uber provided the New York Times, more than 50 percent of NYC Uber rides originated outside Manhattan in 2017­, even excluding pickups from JFK and LaGuardia (LGA) airports. Over half of the areas where Uber reported big increases in pickups were in Queens, including St. Albans, South Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, Bayside and Glendale. Long Island City, Queens now hosts major driver centers for Uber and Lyft, as well as a TLC office. Brooklyn has seen similar annual growth, with almost four times more weekly Uber pickups in the Flatlands neighborhood, and three times more pickups in Starrett City. Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via pickups from JFK and LaGuardia airports roughly tripled from 2016 to 2018. Ride-hail services and taxis now make about the same number of airport pickups. Arch Auto Parts stores near JFK and LGA airports report a similar increase in rideshare drivers at their stores. Arch Auto Parts offers drivers find the highest-quality national brands, including many of the OE parts that were specified and engineered for domestic and import vehicles on the assembly line. The company says customers who want to maintain or restore the comfort and performance of their vehicle often find parts from their vehicle’s OEM at Arch Auto Parts, including parts from Bosch, DENSO, Continental, Aisin, Arnott, Akebono, Delco, Motorcraft, NGK, Trico, Hella, Hengst, Chemours (formerly Dupont), Sylvania, TRW, VDO and more. For example, for Toyota Camrys, one of the most popular Uber vehicles, Arch Auto Parts stocks parts from the OEM for the radiator, compressor, alternator, starter, cabin filter, oxygen sensors (O2 sensors), brake pads, water pump, timing kits, freon refrigerant and more. With their Arch Loyalty discount, drivers typically save 15 to 40 percent over prices at other parts stores. Arch Auto Parts also has become one of the top choices for many independent contract drivers for delivery services, including Caviar, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates and GrubHub. The company says delivery drivers appreciate the convenience of picking up car parts almost as fast as they pick up meals for delivery. Ninety percent of shoppers find the OE-quality parts they need in-stock at the counter at Arch Auto Parts, according to the company. Online shoppers will find most parts ready for in-store pick up in 30 minutes or less. Source: http://www.aftermarketnews.com/nyc-growth-of-ride-hailing-services-fuels-arch-auto-parts/

It’s in every American’s blood to achieve more, do better, strive. (Well, most Americans. Everyone has that one cousin who doesn’t do a whole lot.) But in this hyper-aware, hyper-competitive world in which we live, I’d like everyone to do one, huge thing: less. Of everything. What? Yes, that’s right, less. You know that phrase you often hear when meeting new people and exchanging business cards, “I’m a jack of all trades, master of none?” That’s not a good thing. And I’m not sure why we hear it so much. I think it’s meant as a badge of honor. Or maybe it’s meant to be a sign of humility. But that person needs to listen to his or her own words and act on them. I don’t care how big your business is. Everyone is trying to do too much, be too much to too many other people and businesses. The signs are everywhere: Too few employees trying to do more and more complex tasks; companies offering myriad services, many of which seem impossible to accomplish them all well; half-completed projects; people chasing their tails, going after the shiny new ball of aluminum foil. What’s the result? Are your sales down? Do you feel like you’ve thrown everything you can at the wall and nothing is sticking? If so, I’m pretty sure it’s not the market: It’s you. Stop it. Stop trying to be everything, and watch your sales improve. Let’s get back to our customers and give them what they want and need. What’s the best way to do that? Listen to them. It isn’t any harder than that. The future is not in a web page, an app or an algorithm. Success is rooted in connecting with people, discovering their needs and providing them the products and services they need to do their business. It’s as simple as that. Source: http://www.counterman.com/stop-trying-to-do-too-much-and-watch-your-sales-improve/

Your image isn't coming up. You can just copy and paste by using a "screen shot" as well. Shows....

I caught one of these episodes and it was pretty good.

Open to the public and available for all channels of the aftermarket, Dorman University provides Web-based access to product training related to Dorman’s growing categories and product offering. Dorman says signing up for its new training is both easy and free. After visiting www.DormanUniversity.com and enrolling in the program, students can begin selecting from a wide variety of available course content including: · An introduction to Hybrid Drive Batteries· Highlights from Dorman’s latest Service Dealer Guide· An overview of Dorman’s TPMS program· An overview of the diesel parts market· Highlights from Dorman’s latest Heavy Duty New Product Guide· New training modules added often Each training module consists of course materials that can be downloaded for easy reference, learning content such as videos or presentations, a brief quiz on the course materials, an opportunity to earn a certificate of completion and a closing review summary. Enroll today to start participating in Dorman University. For additional information on Dorman’s latest product introductions, visit www.DormanProducts.com or call 800-523-2492. Also available on the company’s website are links to the Dorman Products signup and links to the company’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.

Here's Fall 2017 Volume 2 Dorman Dealer Guide

Has anyone use one of these before? I was gifted one and have not installed it yet, mainly the app because the connector is just a plug in. It's supposed to communicate car information to your phone via bluetooth. I am going to play with it and post results. Here's the website https://www.fixdapp.com/how_it_works You can get it on Amazon for $59.99

I agree. I have used this site for years to find local used parts.

Bald eagle spotted eating black cat on downtown Norfolk sidewalk in front of Advance Auto Parts A black cat apparently crossed the wrong path Tuesday afternoon – and ended up as lunch for a bald eagle. Dozens of people crowded around as the eagle ate the cat on the sidewalk. Traffic stopped in front of Advance Auto Parts at 26th Street and Monticello Avenue as drivers took a closer look, said store manager Bobby Rafalski. He’d only ever seen anything remotely like that at a zoo, “not an eagle just randomly in the middle of the city.” The eagle was more than two feet long from head to tail and stood around a foot and a half tall, he said. People were eager to get photos, but they weren’t getting too close. “It’s intimidating. It’s an eagle. It has razor-sharp claws and a razor-sharp beak.” The eagle’s meal, Rafalski said, looked like a fully grown black cat. The eagle nearly picked it clean over the course of about 45 minutes, he said. Employee Carol Sills said there were many birds hanging out on the power lines and street lights as usual, and then suddenly they all took off when the eagle showed up. But once the eagle had landed, people with camera phones flocked. Matt Seniuk, a physics teacher at Norview High School, saw the crowd on Monticello on his way to coach football at Blair Middle. He thought there may have been a fight or an accident, then glimpsed the big bird. “It was surreal. You’re right in the middle of downtown, almost,” Seniuk said. Stranger still: the bird seemed unperturbed by the onlookers. “It was going to enjoy its meal as long as nobody was bothering it.” Seniuk said he’d seen eagles in zoos and while rafting on the Delaware River in his native Pennsylvania. “In the woods you see things, but I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said. He sent his nature-loving mother graphic photos and video of the eagle’s feast. “She said, ‘You could have warned me,’” he said. “But it’s no different from what you’d see on the Science Channel or National Geographic. That’s nature.” And in nature there’s always a predator and prey. Rafalski said the first call to his store Wednesday morning was a weeping woman looking for her missing black cat. “There’s a lot of cats around here. I just tried to reassure her that it probably wasn’t hers.”

Remember when cars and trucks didn’t have all these newfangled sensors, computers and infotainment systems? Back in the old days, everything was simpler – including the commercials. Thanks to YouTube, we can look back (and maybe laugh) at some of the vintage TV ads plugging auto parts. Let us know if we’ve forgotten any good ones. NAPA (1979) Noteworthy: The ad is narrated by the late Joseph Campanella, who appeared in more than 200 films and TV shows during his career. Quoteworthy: “Lots of NAPA parts are better than your car’s original parts.” Carquest (1976) Quoteworthy: “Your car is too big an investment to takes chances on parts and services.” Chief Auto Parts (1984) Noteworthy: The ad features Don Adams, best-known for playing the bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in “Get Smart.” Quoteworthy: “You pay. I’ll drive.” AC Sparkplugs (1954) Noteworthy: The actor Frank Albertson portrays a fictional automotive editor who offers an unsolicited explanation of an AC sparkplugs ad to a colleague. Quoteworthy: “Boy you’ll be amazed and pleased at the difference.” Carquest (1976) Quoteworthy: “Oh George, you’re so clever!” Ford (1940) Noteworthy: In this ad promoting the use of genuine Ford parts, “the parts speak for themselves.” Quoteworthy: “Pardon me folks if I point with pride to a new set of Ford parts inside.” Havoline (1976) Noteworthy: Bob Hope explains that state troopers rely on Havoline motor oil – so you should too. Quoteworthy: “Take away the stuff that makes a trooper car look like a trooper car, and what have you got? Five to 10 in the big house.” Source: http://www.counterman.com/classic-auto-parts-commercials-dont-make-em-like-used/

The Auto Care Association submitted comments Oct. 2 urging the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to relist Alibaba and its family of e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and AliExpress, as notorious markets that facilitate the sale of counterfeit auto parts. The letter was submitted as part of the USTR’s request for comments in identifying internet and physical markets based outside the United States that engage in copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting for its annual Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets Report. “Despite Alibaba’s efforts to address the proliferation of counterfeit products, our members report that their brand protection tools and enforcement program have been unsatisfactory,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “Not only do counterfeit products threaten the U.S. economy, and impact our members’ sales and brand value, but counterfeit auto parts do not comply with any safety regulations and are a danger to the safety of consumers.” The Auto Care Association submitted comments in response to member complaints regarding the proliferation of online supply chains based in China that allow the online distribution of counterfeit parts. These online B2B and e-commerce sites advertise branded counterfeit products for sale at rates that significantly undercut the margins of members’ original products. In its letter, the Auto Care Association outlined general principles that Alibaba should adopt to address the proliferation of counterfeit products on its various platforms. The Auto Care Association commends the USTR’s efforts to combat piracy and counterfeiting. The association looks forward to continuing this dialogue with the USTR and representatives from the identified websites to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. Source: http://www.autobodynews.com/index.php/national-associations-news/item/13966-auto-care-association-identifies-alibaba-as-notorious-market-for-counterfeit-auto-parts.html

MANN+HUMMEL has designed new brake dust particulate filter that it says substantially reduces the particulates created while braking. According to the company, braking in city traffic creates significantly more dust than exhaust emissions. Every braking action creates brake dust through friction on the brake disc and brake pads. This is mainly comprised of particulates, and due to the small particle size, they are harmful to health and the environment. The brake dust contributes considerably towards the pollution caused by particulates from road traffic. More than 90 percent of brake dust consists of ultra-fine particles which have a negative effect on human health. A study from the World Health Organization came to the conclusion that 92 percent of humans live in areas where air pollution is above the permissible level. After successful lab tests, the brake dust particulate filter is now being tested in the “fine dust eater” fleet by MANN+HUMMEL to measure performance in real driving conditions. The newly developed brake dust particulate filter from MANN+HUMMEL considerably reduces the emission of particulates, and as a result, less brake dust particulates are able to penetrate the ambient air in traffic. The filter can be adapted to existing installation space in the area of the brake disc. The brake dust particulate filter is suitable for use with all types of vehicles, ranging from electric vehicles to hybrid vehicles and conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. The robust housing of the filter fitted close to the brake caliper allows the filter to prevent the emission directly at the source of fine dust to the ambient air. This is especially useful in city traffic, where frequent braking occurs. The filter medium, which efficiently filters the various particle sizes, is made from a material which is resistant to temperature and corrosion. The retention of the fine dust directly at the place where it is created prevents the soiling of alloy rims and to a large extent the tedious removal of the entrenched brake dust . The brake dust particulate filter from MANN+HUMMEL, with its robust design, can be implemented in the existing installation space and also can become a colored styling element. In addition to use in motor cars, the brake dust particulate filter also can be used in commercial vehicles and railway applications.

Stock took a hit.

To learn more, visit http://www.tricoproducts.com/Drivers. This wiper blade obsessed driving instructor teaches one lesson in this defensive driving school ─ change your wiper blades. Even better, choose TRICO® wiper blades when you do! Easy to install and designed to perform under the most extreme weather conditions, TRICO wiper blades let you focus on what matters most – keeping you and your passengers safe.

The retail industry is changing fast and I don't think people are putting enough weight on the continuing shift to eCommerce and price driven buying decisions, even in the automotive parts industry.