As we approach fall and winter, many motorists will add wiper blade replacement to their seasonal vehicle maintenance routine. On average, repair shops perform about eight wiper blade replacements each month and nearly 70 percent of shops keep wiper blades regularly in stock.

When it comes time to re-stock their wiper blade inventory, shops rely on an average of 1.9 sources and look to jobbers as their primary source. When asked why they choose a source as their first call, nearly 40 percent of shops say availability is key. Best sales reps are a close second at 31 percent. When choosing a brand of wiper blades, 65 percent of shops say they only use a brand they trust.

Editor's Note: Red bar on graph represents 2009 data; blue bar represents 2008 data.

These and other statistics can be found in P.A.R.T.S., produced annually by Counterman magazine. Nine years ago, Counterman began surveying repair shops annually to determine when, how and why they source specific automotive parts and products. The resulting data, published every fall, offers perspective on how sourcing and brand-loyalty trends have changed. The 2009 P.A.R.T.S. report is mailed with the September issue of Counterman.