Contrary to conventional wisdom, the largest portion of the online purchasing, or e-tailing, market for replacement parts is the professional technician segment, according to “E-Tailing in the Automotive Aftermarket,” a new report from the Auto Care Association. In addition, professional technicians purchase a slightly different mix of products, compared to the consumer/DIY portion, which results in a higher dollar volume.

The digital study analyzes the online retail market for sales of aftermarket parts, and serves as the foundation for the Auto Care Association to provide a unified estimate of online sales within the aftermarket. The full report provides a comprehensive analysis of the e-tailing channel based upon a triangulated analysis of pre-existing studies, existing data, consumer and installer surveys and in-depth interviews (IDIs) within the auto care industry.

In addition to the full report, the research also is available in these four modules:

• Executive Summary provides an overview of all the key component study findings, which include insights from the market sizing, repair shop/installer and consumer research.

• Market Size and Growth totals dollar volume of replacement parts sold via e-tailers for 2013 in consumer dollars.

• Repair Shop/Installer Survey Results includes an in-depth analysis of the repair shop’s usage of e-tailing within their business.

• Consumer/Vehicle Owner Survey Results examines the DIY automotive consumer and their e-tailing habits.

IMR Inc. and The Martec Group were commissioned by the Auto Care Association to perform the research and modules for this report. Each version of the report is priced differently for Auto Care Association members and non-members. For pricing and more information, visit www.autocare.org/etailing.