Tariffs And Trade Drama Aren’t Going Away Soon, AASA Panel Says
Regardless of whether the Trump administration can broker a trade deal with China, panelists at the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association’s (AASA) 2019 Vision Conference in Dearborn, Michigan, had a message for the automotive aftermarket: Expect trade drama with China to be a fact of life for the next several years.
Automotive Aftermarket Getting A Boost From ‘Normalized Winters,’ GPC’s Paul Donahue Says
During Genuine Parts Co.’s (GPC) Feb. 19 conference call, President and CEO Donahue said “generally favorable weather conditions” helped NAPA’s parent company finish 2018 with a strong fourth quarter, and the weather “drove improved demand for much of the year.”
Advance Auto Parts Making Inroads With DIY Customers
Bucking an industry trend, Advance Auto Parts said its growth in DIY sales outpaced professional sales for existing stores in the fourth quarter.
Advance Auto Parts: Any Incremental Sales From Walmart Partnership Will Be ‘Upside’ To 2019 Guidance
During Advance’s Feb. 19 conference call, President and CEO Tom Greco said any incremental sales generated from the Walmart partnership “will be all upside” to its full-year revenue guidance. Advance and Walmart announced the partnership in October.
O’Reilly: DIY Customers Feeling Inflation Pinch
In the fourth quarter, sales from professional and DIY customers contributed to a 3.3 percent jump in same-store revenue growth, “with professional continuing to outperform DIY,” CEO Greg Johnson explained during the company’s Feb. 6 conference call.
O’Reilly: Bennett Acquisition, DC Projects Driving Biggest Cap-Ex Spending in Company History
O’Reilly expects to invest between $625 million and $675 million on capital expenditures (cap-ex) in 2019, up from $504.3 million in 2018.
AutoZone CEO Bill Rhodes On 2019 Aftermarket Outlook: ‘Trends Remain Encouraging’
AutoZone’s key priorities for 2019 include “customers first,” accelerating its commercial business, improving the omni-channel sales experience, leveraging technology and increasing inventory availability.
O’Reilly Builds Cleveland Area Distribution Center, Relocates Nashville Facility
The 405,000-square-foot “ground-up” facility in Twinsburg will service approximately 275 stores, said O’Reilly Chief Operating Officer and Co-President Jeff Shaw, during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
Advance Sees Walmart Partnership ‘As Opportunity To Extend Fundamental DIY Value Proposition To More Customers,’ CEO Says
While Advance and Walmart haven’t ironed out all the logistics, Advance CEO Tom Greco emphasized that the two companies are aligned in their goal to “delight the customer.”
Automotive Trends: A Mostly Positive Outlook For The Aftermarket
The looming shift to autonomous technology is one of five trends that Seng highlighted in his AAPEX presentation, “Five Trends in Five Minutes: Key Trends Impacting the North American Automotive Aftermarket.”
Telematics And The Future Of The Automotive Aftermarket: Why ‘Connected’ Isn’t Enough
Robert Stevens, director of garage networks and technology at Groupauto International, described one possible scenario, during a Sept. 12 presentation at Automechanika Frankfurt.
President And Co-Owner Of Automotor France Launches Service Firm For Aftermarket Parts Distributors In Emerging Markets
The company, which formed in August, also is developing the first parts and services e-catalog designed to meet the needs of customers all over the world, according to founder Olivier van Ruymbeke.
