Eastern Automotive Warehousing/Auto Machinery - Autosphere

AIA Canada
Attention ASPs & Jobbers!
Lots of things happen in Vegas… but not all of them stay in Vegas! Thank goodness, because
AIA Canada made a big announcement there and we’re printing it here.
AIA IA President Marc Brazeau
and current AIA Chair John
Watt held held a press conference
in Las Vegas in order
to present their newest study:
“Hidden Potential Unmasked,”
the Canadian Automotive
Aftermarket Demand Study.
And wow, what a lot of dynamite
information… especially for
Automotive Service Providers
and Jobbers!
A rosier future than you
imagine
Marc said, “This is the most
important document to date
that we have completed for
the Canadian Automotive
Aftermarket. Much speculation
has been made
about the future because
of the economic situation.
Well, the future looks a lot better than
you may think! Underperformed mainmaintenance is a hidden market, and if fully
Some
important details
realized, this market could almost double John walked us through some of the
the size of our Canadian industry. We are details that are in the report the most
losing business because we need to take a outstanding of these was that “there is
fresh approach to each vehicle that comes $10.33 billion of additional work that
into the bay. Providing customer service the industry is missing out on right now!
means doing an inspection on all vehicles That is a big number and may seem unreal-
regardless of what symptoms they come istic at fi rst until you stop and think about
in with and appropriately advising the it. That number represents the whole fl eet
vehicle owner on what their vehicle needs. on the road. Let me break it down further,
This is not about upselling what is not by making this statement: Vehicles 4 to
required. It is about doing a better job of 12 years old are being “under serviced” by
recognizing and communicating just what an average of $239 every time they visit
is needed now and what can be deferred an Automotive Service Provider. More
with some idea of recommended intervals. intensive research into six specifi c prod-
Doing just what is asked is bad business uct categories (brakes, wipers, batteries,
and bad for the customer.”
oxygen sensors, shocks/struts, and cabin
Some
important details
12 | CarCare Business | December 2009 | www.autosphere.ca |
Shirley Brown
sgbrown@xplornet.com
filters) showed those services
alone accounted for $116 of that
number.
“For suppliers and distributors,
the potential is equally alluring.
Shops that do more maintenance
and repair work buy more parts.
The $2.5 billion dangling as low
hanging fruit for suppliers through
existing channels and customers,
is that worth targeting? The report
is clear. The work is out there to be
done. The question becomes whether
we in the aftermarket will seize the
opportunity. The odds of success are
certainly great. We have the customers,
we have the techs, we, as an industry,
can develop programs to help the service
and repair community fully utilize
both. Shops that are profi table pay their
technicians better, buy equipment, train,
and pay their bills on time.
Think about market potential
“This report should cause the industry to
step back and think through what market
potential really means, how it affects their
part of the supply chain and what strategies
they are putting into place to ensure
we begin to capture the vast amount
of underperformed maintenance in the
Canadian Aftermarket.”
It is absolutely achievable. If you are an
AIA member, go to the AIA website www.
aiacanada.com and download the report—you’ll
be amazed. Get started today
on getting your share of that $10.33 billion
of additional work waiting to be done!