What's Hot
It's getting cold outside, which clearly means it's time to analyze sales of – yes, that's right – A/C compressors. In truth, now is the time when many distributors are taking long, hard looks at demand patterns in the A/C category to be sure they will have the best possible product mix on their shelves next spring.As any seasoned technician will confirm, diagnosing A/C problems can be a time-consuming task. In more than a few cases, shops might seem to be "throwing parts" at a suspected issue rather than identifying the root causes of compressor malfunction. And in many cases, reports one compressor manufacturer, shops are performing repeat installations because the A/C system wasn't properly flushed out the first time, allowing hidden contaminants to damage the new unit.
Leading the category in catalog lookups in November was the 2001 Ford Taurus, which rose six positions from November 2007. Also rising were the F150 pickup (up five positions to No. 3 overall), Dodge Caravan minivan (up nine positions to No. 4) and the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier (rising 21 spots to No. 5).
"We see a lot of Taurus volume, particularly the '01 and '02 model years," said a compressor manufacturer product manager. "Our tech guys say there are a lot of cases where shops assume the compressor is bad, only to find that an expansion valve is stuck."
Another fast-rising application is the 2002 Jeep Liberty, which entered the top 10 for the first time last month.
Strut assemblies in general are "hot" – ever since Monroe introduced the all-in-one strut tower, shops have embraced its time- and money-saving characteristics. Manufacturers in this category tend to focus on applications with comparatively high rates of spring breakage. This strategy certainly aligns with November's top 10 applications as measured by catalog lookups. Toyota Camry models continued to dominate the top tier, while the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Ford Taurus experienced increased replacement rates. One manufacturer predicts light trucks will enter the top 10 in 2009, as a sizeable fleet of strut-equipped trucks enter prime replacement age.
There isn't a great deal of demand volatility in the disc brake caliper category, where the Ford F150 filled three of the top five positions in November. Light trucks and SUVs, in particular, are driving sales in this category. "You've got heavier, harder-working vehicles that are often equipped with automotive-style braking systems, so trucks and SUVs are more susceptible to caliper issues," said an Ohio-based shop owner. "We see a lot of F150s and Chevy Blazers with brake issues, but we're also seeing more late-90s Grand Cherokees too."
What's Not
Four applications fell out of the top 10 in the A/C compressor category in November – the 1992, '96 and '97 Chevrolet C&K pickups and 1998 S10 pickup. The manufacturer interviewed for this article didn't have a specific reason for the decline in demand for these applications, though the '92 Chevy pickup – which dropped 29 positions year over year – "is probably not going to see another round of compressor replacements," he says. "Owners of vehicles of that vintage aren't very likely to invest in air conditioning – they're just trying to get as much life out of the vehicle as they can with minimal expense."The strut assembly category might be too new to see dramatic spikes in demand. Two Toyota Camry models – 1994 and '95 – dropped out of the top 10 in November, as did the 2000 Ford Focus and 1999 Toyota Corolla. "The Camry is a very popular application for us, but the older models have either already been repaired with new struts or are becoming less likely prospects due to their age," said a manufacturing representative.
Two applications falling from the top 10 in the disc brake caliper category in November were, oddly, newer Ford pick-up models – the 1999 F-150 and 2000 F350 Super Duty. "The F-350 has been a popular part for us but not one of our top sellers," said one remanufacturer. "The F-150 is a good number across all late-90s model years."
Methodology: The parts demand data captured through the Activant Vista solution is processed and aggregated on a daily basis through Activant's unique statistical methodology. Collected information includes eCatalog lookups, product availability and sales transactions by vehicle and SKU. For a complete analysis of these three categories, please visit www.search-autoparts.com.
Rod Bayless is the product director for Activant Solutions, Inc. For additional information regarding Activant Vista market data, write to [email protected]. Activant is a leading innovator and the industry standard for information and supply chain technology in the automotive aftermarket.
