July 14, 2020 – After a 50% drop in U.S. deliveries of light vehicles, the seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of sales (SAAR) for April had fallen to 8.6 million vehicles. Anxious to generate some cash flow, automakers offered generous incentives to encourage nervous would-be buyers to get back in the market. After all but disappearing in March, zero percent finance offers represented a record high 25.8% of all new financed purchases in the month of May according to Edmunds.com.

For the first time, in a very long time, the trailing twelve-month (TTM) net sales for the Hilco Parts Index (HPI) decreased from year-ago levels.

In this article we take a look at ecommerce and its impact on both consumer purchasing behaviors and brick and mortar businesses, with an eye toward what the future after COVID-19 may hold for those competing in the Automotive Aftermarket.

Trailing twelve-month (TTM) net sales for the Hilco Parts Index (HPI) totaled $65.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2020, a 2.5% increase from one year earlier. However, net sales for just the first quarter were $15.7 billion, a decrease of 2.6% from the first quarter of 2019.

Debtwire senior legal analyst Richard Goldman sits down with Hilco’s Steven Wolf and Keith Spacapan to discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on the US automotive industry.

Net sales for the Hilco Parts Index (HPI) totaled $65.5 billion for the fourth quarter of 2019, a 4.4% increase from one year earlier and 0.7% higher than the third quarter of 2019.

In this article we examine the change being forced upon an Auto industry impacted by a deadly virus, the sacrifices being made by all involved, and the positive response of those within the Industry to meet the tough challenges ahead.

Sitting in my office at Hilco Valuation Services on a brisk March day earlier this year, I put the phone down and headed into the hallway to share some surprising information with a colleague. That day alone, I had received three separate inquiries from around the U.S., all pertaining to potential valuation and liquidation engagements within the Motor Coach industry.

In early March, as the threat to our domestic economy from COVID-19 was measured in terms of the potential impact on our supply chain, the mood in the automotive industry continued to be generally optimistic, and for good reason.