Loyalty Plays An Important Role in Fleet Purchases

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 12, 2012 - The Advanstar Automotive Group, a leading provider of integrated media solutions to the automotive aftermarket and collision repair industry, cited loyalty to suppliers as one of the most important factors for automotive fleets when they purchase products. This and other insights were revealed in the 2012 Aftermarket Business World Fleet Product Study, published in the December issue of  the magazine. The study showed that this loyalty is dependent upon suppliers meeting the needs of fleets for pricing, parts availability and delivery speed.

“But the hook for aftermarket suppliers lies in the 23 percent of respondents who say they are open to adding or taking on a new supplier," explained Krista McNamara, managing editor, Aftermarket Business World.

More than half — 54 percent — of the respondents in the Aftermarket Business World Fleet Product Study say they never change suppliers, while 38 percent only change suppliers when necessary, results show. National parts retailers and warehouse distributors are the preferred suppliers for fleet respondents.

Nearly half of respondents use only one supplier for their fleets while about one third of respondents use two. Three-fourths of those surveyed indicate their fleets include up to 50 vehicles, with the most common makes including Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, GMC and Toyota models.

About 20 percent of the fleets represented in the study say between 16-25 percent of their fleet receives service monthly, and more than half use an on-site, fleet-owned service facility to complete service and maintenance needed.

In terms of inventory, quality, reliability and price — in that order — are the most important considerations when selecting product brands for fleet use, respondents say. And 43 percent order inventory as needed, while one third stores a one-month supply onsite.

The Fleet Product Study was fielded via e-mail to readers of Aftermarket Business World  who are part of a fleet. Results are intended to show general market trends, not specific industry certainties, and should be treated as such.

If you’d like to schedule an interview with Krista McNamara, contact Boris Chernin, marketing director, at (310) 857-7632 or e-mail Boris at bchernin@advanstar.com.

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Advanstar Automotive Group

The Advanstar Automotive Group (www.SearchAutoparts.com) is a leading provider of integrated media solutions to the automotive aftermarket and collision repair industry, offering a portfolio of three industry leading magazines - Aftermarket Business World, Automotive Body Repair Network and Motor Age; four websites including Search-Autoparts.com, the automotive aftermarket’s largest B2B website; nine e-newsletters; numerous news alerts; and 42 training manuals for vehicle industry professionals, trade buyers, and automotive enthusiasts.

Through a multi-media approach, Advanstar reaches nearly 9 million original equipment and aftermarket manufacturers, distributors, service & repair professionals, retailers, and consumers. Advanstar drives insightful news analysis, research and trends, entertainment, new product information and buying opportunities to customers at their office, home, and race track — keeping them passionate, competitive, and connected.

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