Online Auto Parts Sales to Break $10 Billion in 2018

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Online Auto Parts Sales to Break $10 Billion in 2018

Nearly $138 billion in retail sales in 2018 through all sales channels – including traditional retail channels – will be influenced by the internet, due to online activity by consumers and service professionals, according to a new report.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

A new annual forecast for online retailing shows online auto sales in 2018 will be more than $10 billion, according to a report by Hedges & Company, a digital marketing agency serving the automotive aftermarket.

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Nearly $138 billion in retail sales in 2018 through all sales channels – including traditional retail channels – will be influenced by the internet, due to online activity by consumers and service professionals, according to the company’s report.

Online sales of auto parts to break $10B in 2018.
The automotive aftermarket will continue its dramatic shift to digital as online retail sales of auto parts & accessories in 2018 will exceed $10 billion for the first time, posting a 16.3% increase over 2017, with more than $5 billion of that occurring on mobile phones. Hedges & Company forecasts online sales of auto parts to reach nearly $16 billion in 2021.

Nearly $138 billion in retail sales in 2018 through all sales channels - including traditional retail channels - will be influenced by the internet, due to online activity by consumers and service professionals.This influence comes from consumers doing online research before buying a part, reading information and checking fitment on a manufacturer’s website, being exposed to online advertising, reading product or reseller reviews, going to automotive forums, or using search engines. The four most popular methods of online research used by consumers before buying are using search engines like Google or Bing (74% of all consumers), visiting online auto parts retailer websites (73%), visiting manufacturer websites (57%) and visiting automotive forums (47%).

Online activity will influence nearly $152 billion in parts and accessory sales through all retail channels – chain retail stores, automobile dealers, big box retailers, local independent brick & mortar retailers, jobbers, as well as online sales – by 2021. Online sales include online retailers, as well as the growing trend of manufacturers selling direct to consumers.

Hedges & Company has tracked online auto parts sales closely each year since 2007, using a combination of proprietary industry research, trends analysis, US Census data, data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, interviews with industry sources, analysis of third-party data and statistical modeling. The forecast does not include used or recycled parts, online auctions such as eBay Motors or third-party marketplaces. The forecast includes the United States only.

For the full forecast, click here.

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
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This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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