-
Similar Topics
-
By Counterman
Six in 10 automotive businesses expect demand for aftermarket parts and services to grow this year. That’s according to
link hidden, please login to view by the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo ( link hidden, please login to view). Open-ended commentary points to higher new vehicle prices, which are causing consumers to hang onto their existing vehicles longer, as the driving force for rising demand in the aftermarket. “The price of new cars is high, so people are purchasing, repairing and maintaining older vehicles,” wrote one respondent. “People are keeping their cars for longer periods of time,” noted another. “Price of new cars justifies repairs on older vehicles,” noted a third.
One caveat to that finding is that price sensitivity shows up in the aftermarket, too. The majority (53%) have observed more interest in lower-cost parts and services. However, customer motivation appears to be focused on value, rather than pure cost savings. Respondents said quality (34%) was the top influence of buying preference, followed by price (25%) and availability (20%).
Perhaps as a consequence, respondents said their business’s sales expectations for this year are flat, compared to sales performance the year prior. This reinforces the aftermarket’s reputation for stability no matter what’s happening with the economy.
Uncertainty is the Top Challenge
Respondents identified the top challenge as “uncertainty” (45%), which was a recurring theme throughout the findings. Many aftermarket businesses are engrossed in supply chain diversification initiatives, carrying higher inventory levels, and struggling to find skilled labor.
Among the other key findings are the following:
Customer service is the top AI initiative. About one-fifth (21%) of respondents have implemented enterprise-grade AI tools and another 20% are in the planning stages. Of those implementing enterprise AI, the top areas of AI investment are customer service (60%), inventory management (42%) and product development (36%). Supply chain diversification. 70% of respondents have completed diversifying their suppliers (6%), are in the planning stages (18%), or have plans in progress (46%). Inventories are on the rise. 38% of respondents are managing higher inventories of parts, compared to 20% who say they are managing fewer parts. Electric vehicle (EV) investments. More respondents (26%) said they will invest less in the EV segment, compared to 17% who will invest more. Another 27% said they will invest about the same as last year. Notably, the largest share of respondents (29%) remains uncertain about EV investments. Solving the Skilled Labor Shortage
Attracting skilled talent ranked second on the list of the top three challenges. Repair shops struggle with this because automotive technicians are retiring faster than the industry can replace them. The problem is compounded by the fact that demand for repair and maintenance services is rising.
When asked about the steps their business is taking to address the shortage, respondents pointed to an array of enticements. These include offering more training (30%), boosting compensation (27%) and improving benefits (22%), among other steps.
However, 25% of respondents aren’t taking any of those actions. In open-ended comments, respondents offered a variety of answers ranging from hiring retired people part-time to employing temporary help. One respondent commented [that we] “just stopped looking for help.”
It’s important to note that it’s not just repair shops that need skilled labor in the aftermarket. Respondents who work in manufacturing comprised the second largest demographic in this survey, following repair shops.
One manufacturing respondent wrote in to offer a solution, calling for “a national apprenticeship program that is deeply integrated into the manufacturing sector.” That person later added that technical institutes should synchronize their curricula with the “real-time needs of the factory floor.”
The full report is freely available for download (no registration required) on the AAPEX blog:
link hidden, please login to view. The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By NAPA
Chase Elliott qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He made steady progress in the first stage, ending it in the eighth position. Elliott followed that up with a ninth-place finish in the second stage. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver spent most of it in the top five. Following a caution, he restarted from the second row and settled into third before making the pass for second with 34 laps to go. He closed the gap to the leader but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in second. The runner-up result was Elliott’s second top-five finish of the season and tied his previous-best effort at the track. Elliott leaves Las Vegas fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9
link hidden, please login to view team qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed speed early in the 267-lap event. He battled for 10th in the opening laps before settling into 11th. Prior to making a scheduled green-flag pit stop, the 30-year-old driver reported that the No. 9 Chevy “could get a little snug at times in the center of turns one and two.” Elliott visited pit road on lap 34 for four fresh tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Once the field cycled through pit stops, Elliott was scored in the 10th position. He continued to gain ground, finishing stage one in eighth place and collecting three stage points.
Under the stage-ending caution, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts crew completed a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel, allowing Elliott to gain three positions on pit road. After a car ahead of him received a pit road penalty, Elliott started the second stage from row two on lap 89. He was in a four-car battle for the lead before settling into third. Elliott slipped to fourth prior to the start of green-flag pit stops. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called the Dawsonville, Georgia, native to pit road for fuel and four tires on lap 122. Unfortunately, there was an issue on the left rear that caused a long pit stop. Elliott lost some track position but was still scored inside the top 10 once pit stops for the field were complete. Elliott held strong in seventh before slipping to ninth to end the second stage.
During the stage break, Elliott relayed that he had “overbuilt the right rear just a little too much.” He visited pit road for four tires and fuel under the caution, gaining two positions. Elliott restarted seventh for the final stage on lap 173 and improved to fifth by lap 180. He was running in that same spot when a caution came out for an on-track incident on lap 212. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy reported that “it was building to a nice spot.” After pitting for fuel and four tires, he lined up fourth for the choose, restarting from the inside of row two with just 50 laps to go. He held strong, running in third before making a pass for the second position with 34 laps remaining. Elliott gained ground on the leader in the closing laps but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position.
“I felt like our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was a little better there on the longer run,” Elliott said after the race. “I thought Denny (Hamlin, race leader) was starting to fall off, and I was just trying to be as tidy as I could and give myself an opportunity. We just came up a little bit short. But honestly, with where we’ve been to how we ran today, it was not even comparable. As bummed as I am, I have to check myself back to reality and understand how big of an improvement that was from past races (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). Just proud of this team. It’s a lot of fun to be right there in the mix with those guys that have won a lot of races out here. Excited about that and hopefully we can keep building on it.”
Elliott is now fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 15 / 2
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 168 pts. (-87)
Next Race: Sunday, March 22, Darlington Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or MRN
NAPA:
link hidden, please login to view
Chase Elliott: link hidden, please login to view
Hendrick Motorsports: link hidden, please login to view
No. 9 Team: link hidden, please login to view The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view was honored with the Workplace Excellence Award from MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers at AAPEX 2025. The recognition highlights suppliers that show leadership, innovation and measurable progress in building a strong, sustainable workforce. Evaluation focused on three areas: strategy and leadership, innovative recruiting, and retention and engagement. “On behalf of MotoRad, I’m honored to accept this award,” said Matt Buchholz, CEO, MotoRad. “We work every day to build a place where people want to come to work, grow and serve this essential industry. This recognition belongs to our global team whose commitment to customers and to one another makes the difference.”
MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers presented the award on the AAPEX show floor in Las Vegas.
link hidden, please login to view’s submission cited a clear people strategy, new recruiting pipelines, skills development programs, frontline engagement, and data-driven retention results across regions.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to viewtomotive Parts Associates (APA) participated in the 2025 AWDA Conference and Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) with its annual cocktail party on Nov. 4. The event, held at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, gathered over 200 shareholders, TruStar members and industry partners. This invite-only gathering facilitated networking and the exchange of ideas within the automotive aftermarket industry. Attendees engaged in discussions while surrounded by wax figures of celebrities and cultural icons. The event celebrated past successes and looked forward to continued growth and collaboration.
“We received a ton of great feedback on this year’s event, many people told us it was our best one yet and that we’ll have a hard time topping it next year,” said Steve Tucker,
link hidden, please login to view. “That’s the kind of challenge we like to hear. Each year, we aim to make this event even more memorable for our members, shareholders and partners. I would like to extend my appreciation to all who attended and to the APA HQ staff, especially Jan Larson, for making this year’s event such a success.” APA said it remains dedicated to fostering connections within its network to drive shared success and future growth.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
-
By Counterman
The aftermarket is a people-driven business. It’s one of the biggest themes of the annual AAPEX show and, by extension, this season of
link hidden, please login to view. We’ve been traveling the country putting executives in the aftermarket to the test. In every episode, they go from the boardroom to the garage to fix up cars, using the same parts their company sells every day. “You see that high collaboration between suppliers or manufacturers, WDs and installers. It’s driven by the people of this industry,” says Stefan Feder, head of automotive aftermarket at
link hidden, please login to view. We begin this episode in Allentown, Pennsylvania. AUMOVIO is a new name in the automotive aftermarket, but not a new company. In April, Continental launched this rebrand of its automotive sector business. AUMOVIO comprises several brands, including ATE braking products, VDO blower motors and engine management systems, and Redi-Sensor TPMS products.
After chatting with Stefan about his career and AUMOVIO’s various brands and products, we head to the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, where Stefan is joined by AUMOVIO technical trainer Doug Rennie. Doug gives the students tips on brake pad and rotor inspections, and where to use lubricating paste when putting them back together. From there, Stefan talks to the young future technicians about why they are needed in the automotive industry, and the AAPEX show’s place in the industry.
See what the students learned in this episode of My Road to AAPEX. And keep tuning in to the show throughout this fall, as we bring you more stories like this and continue heading down the road to the aftermarket’s biggest show in November.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.