Another Return? Who’s at Fault Here?
Returns are part of running a parts distribution business. But shouldn’t technicians be somewhat responsible for the product they return? As it turns out, the answers depends on the situation.
The Disappearing Customer
For the motorist, a lack of highly qualified technicians can mean higher costs and longer waits. But for the auto parts distributor, the ramifications hit a little closer to home: A potential technician shortage is a potential customer shortage. For the motorist, a lack of highly qualified technicians can mean higher costs and longer waits.
Mirror Image
Counterfeiting is big business, accounting for five to eight percent of all goods sold worldwide.
The Super Stores
An In-Depth Look At The 20 Largest Store Groups The big distributors in the industry just keep getting bigger. See how the most influential store groups in the industry have grown over the last 12 months.
Planning Your Strategy
A thorough business gameplan warrants some critical assessment to think beyond the numbers. One of the best tools is an honest SWOT analysis.
No Record Found: You Can’t Sell What You Can’t Find
While a new part number may indeed be available through your warehouse, oftentimes neither you nor your customer can find it since the parts data has not yet been updated in your e-cat. Catalog latency costs the market billions of dollars in lost sales. How are electronic catalog providers addressing this critical issue?
Top Ten News Makers of 2004
For the first time ever, Counterman magazine and aftermarketNews.com bring you The Top 10 Newsmakers of 2004. Our editorial team took a look at some of this industry’s most influential leaders and selected the 10 we believe had a direct impact on the aftermarket in 2004.
Ignition Blast Off
In order to provide the right assistance, you need to know the basics. The knowledge can be beneficial to you, and most importantly, your customer base.
Retailer vs. Wholesaler
What’s the difference between the retail and wholesale markets in modern parts distribution? Some say the overlaps between the markets are huge, some say not.
The Branding of Program Groups
In the beginning, program groups were little more than group buyers. These days, groups are bona-fide programs that allow parts stores and their service dealer customers to compete on a level playing field thanks to the brand recognition that group membership brings.