Pricedex and Illumaware Announce New Strategic Alliance at eForum
Yesterday at the Aftermarket eForum in Chicago, two product information management (PIM) software and data management services providers – Pricedex Software, Inc. and Illumaware Corp. — announced a new alliance. Pricedex Software and Illumaware Corp. will work together to offer comprehensive, scalable end-to-end PIM and data management solutions to aftermarket manufacturers, distributors and retailers that can be tailored to their specific financial and performance requirements.
VDI to Offer Online Hosting Services
Vertical Development, Inc. (VDI) has added online hosting to its suite of catalog and data management systems and services. The new service, which will be introduced next week at the 2006 Aftermarket eForum in Chicago, provides a portal where VDI clients can post electronic catalogs, product guides, interchanges and other literature. In the process, it enables aftermarket customers to find the data they need, quickly and easily, according to the company.
NAPA Brakes Releases New ‘Ultimate Shop Merchandising Kit’
NAPA Brakes has released its new Ultimate Shop Merchandising Kit, packed full of point-of-purchase materials to help shop owners grow their businesses. The kit features a selection of brake pads and rotors but the highlight of the kits is a combination LCD TV/DVD player, perfect for a lobby or waiting area where a shop owner can show customers what goes into a brake job. The kit also includes an 8-minute custom-made video produced especially for the Ultimate Shop Merchandising Kit, which shows the differences between one brake job and the next.
Executive Interview with Scott Luckett, Chairman of the Aftermarket eForum Planning Committee
This week, we hear from Scott Luckett, vice president of technology standards and solutions for AAIA. Luckett is also chairman of the Aftermarket eForum Planning Committee. The 2006 Aftermarket eForum takes place in Chicago next month – July 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. Join us as Luckett gives us an update on the aftermarket technology landscape.
AAIA Releases 2006 Employee Compensation Survey; Biennial Report Also Available on CD-ROM
The 2006 edition of the Employee Compensation Survey, published by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), is now available in both print and electronic formats. This distributors-only survey offers a comprehensive guide to understanding compensation, incentive and benefit levels in aftermarket distribution. The 156-page, two-volume report contains information on both executive and employee compensation, including salaries, bonuses, commission, perks and benefits from AAIA and cross-industry firms.
Monro Muffler Brake Announces Record Fourth Quarter, Full Year Results
Monro Muffler Brake has announced record financial results for its fourth quarter and full year, which ended March 25. Sales for the year increased 9.3 percent to $368.7 million from $337.4 million in fiscal 2005, driven by a 1.7 percent increase in comparable store sales and a new stores sales increase of $26.6 million. On a comparable store basis, the maintenance service and tire categories posted the strongest results with gains of approximately 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
Illumaware Corp. Offers New Services
Illumaware Corp., a provider of data translation and synchronization services to major corporations in the automotive aftermarket, has added a new offering to its product lineup. The company has launched an entire suite of services designed to facilitate aftermarket product information management, data synchronization and dissemination. Called EvoKat, the new service lets customers maintain their product data in standards such as PIES and ACES, in addition to other formats.
Autos Are Most Recycled Consumer Product
Automobiles are the most recycled consumer products in the world today, according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Each year, 95 percent of retired autos are processed for recycling. Everything from floor mats and instrument panels to upholstery, aluminum and steel can be recycled for use in a new automobile or another consumer product.
Nearly 40 Percent of Households Purchase Aftermarket Accessories, According to AAIA
Nearly two-fifths of all U.S. households (39.5 percent) purchased at least one aftermarket accessory for their vehicles in 2004, according to the 2005/2006 Aftermarket Factbook, published by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). The most common type of accessory purchased by consumers, according to AAIA’s research, was floor mats (24.5 percent).
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry: Industry Execs Comment on the Top Ten Issues of Year
Today, aftermarketNews kicks off its second annual “Top Ten” series, produced in collaboration with our sister publication, Counterman magazine. For our first installation in a weeklong series, we recap the top ten issues addressed this year by executives in our bi-weekly feature “Ask the Industry.” Below are ten of the most intriguing insights that leading aftermarket executives shared with us this year.