In a word, the Automotive Aftermarket is “pleased” with its second-quarter results. We experienced our first normal winter weather in three years and the industry is benefiting. For the six companies that comprise the Hilco Parts Index (the Index), net sales were $69.8 billion for the twelve months ending with the second quarter of 2021.

Sales momentum late in the first quarter carried over into the second. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales (SAAR) for light-duty vehicles reached 18.5 million vehicles in April 2021, an all-time record for the month.

June 18, 2021 — For public companies reporting first quarter sales results, headline news for the Automotive Aftermarket has been overwhelmingly positive. For the six companies that comprise the Hilco Parts Index (the Index), net sales for the quarter were $66.5 billion for the the first quarter of 2021.

In this first in a series of upcoming articles on the electric vehicle (EV) market, we take a look at plans by global auto manufacturers for continued, aggressive expansion of their electric offerings as well as the technologies that are competing for dominance in the market.

April 26, 2021— In January, a survey was taken of industry economists when the seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales (SAAR) for light-duty vehicles had been flirting with 16 million vehicles for the better part of six months. At the time, few experts forecast 2021 U.S. sales above 16 million vehicles. The sales momentum from December that carried over to January looked to stall in February due to severe winter weather. So, no one was expecting a SAAR of 17.8 million in March, a 55% increase from last year’s 11.4 million vehicles.

For anyone in the auto industry right now, the year 2020 will be remembered as the most challenging of their career. The pandemic spared no one. Manufacturers, freight companies, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and customers all had their own cross to bear. In the end, 2020 net sales for the Hilco Parts Index (HPI) declined 1.1% compared to prior year results. That is considerably better than the 8.8% decrease suffered by the broader U.S. auto aftermarket and evidence the Big Four (Advance, AutoZone, Genuine Parts, and O’Reilly)continue to gain market share from smaller independent wholesale distributors. The Big Four are generally considered to represent a third of the marketplace.

Over my many years in law, real estate, finance and asset monetization I have been a part of numerous debates among colleagues regarding which of the vast complexities associated with starting up a large scale division or branch of a business in Mexico – particularly as an extension of a company based outside the country – is the most daunting.