by Amy Antenora
Managing Editor, aftermarketNews.com

DETROIT -- It appears that General Motors (GM) wants to grab yet another piece of the rapidly-growing vehicle accessory market.

GM has asked its dealers and investors to help boost the company's sales of vehicle accessories by building new autoparts distribution centers, according to a recent Bloomberg report. GM said it would like to see 85 parts centers built by 2005.

In 2001, GM announced its entrée into the accessories market with the introduction of its Service Parts Operations (SPO) division, created to increase sales of accessories from its dealerships. This new initiative will focus on accessories for customizing vehicles, such as running boards and spoilers.

According to data from SEMA -- the Specialty Equipment Market Association -- sales of accessory products for vehicles have increased 183 percent in the last decade, from $5.2 billion in 1990 to more than $14.7 billion in 2001. New statistics from SEMA show that customers spend nearly 75 percent of their car-purchasing dollars on something they want rather than something they need, a confirmation of the recent boom in the accessories market.

Nancy Philippart, head of the company's accessories business, told Bloomberg that the regional centers will be used as storage facilities for the customization accessories, as well as a training ground for dealers who will sell the parts.

GM sold $225 million in accessories last year, up 29 percent from 2002 but less than 1 percent of a $27 billion U.S. market. Philippart said GM expects to spur "double-digit" annual growth in consumer accessory sales.

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