Did you pick up the unofficial theme at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW)?
Beginning in the lead up to Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue and running through HDAW’s final educational session, it was clear there was a thematic undercurrent during the festivities this year in Las Vegas. Panelists brought it up constantly, suppliers focused on it during the trade show and — at least from the conversations I had — a lot of distributors seemed to have it on top of mind.
Those who attended probably already know what I’m referring to. For those who didn’t: The independent aftermarket is on the cusp of an e-commerce revolution.
The messaging started on Jan. 20 when Truck Parts & Service published the results of a recent MacKay & Company and FinditParts study that uncovered 55 percent of end users have already tried e-commerce to purchase Class 6-8 truck and trailer parts. The survey also discovered nearly half (47 percent) of the responders who’ve yet to try online sales are considering the platform for the future, and that price, product availability and convenience are driving customers into the new purchasing channels.
Those sentiments were reiterated and expanded on later at Heavy Duty After-market Dialogue, where representatives from some of North America’s largest fleets and carrier associations trumpeted their experiences with online ordering and purchasing. Suppliers followed suit, touting the channel later in the day and during HDAW as a burgeoning tool for their business.
Then there was ‘Aftermarket Briefings,’ a new event to HDAW in which three technology subject matter experts conveyed to the audience how new software and technological tools, such as e-commerce solutions, can serve to improve and enhance their businesses.
The last event in particular was packed with inquisitive distributors, who immediately started lobbing questions toward the presenters and didn’t stop until the end of the week.
