The Automotive Aftermarket
Has a Chaos Problem
Pricing wars that destroy margins. Accounts going direct. Counterfeit parts nobody admits are in the supply chain. Warehouses full of inventory that is not moving. Written by someone who has been inside it for thirty years.
Read the ArticlesWhat Is Actually Happening in the Channel
The Aftermarket Pricing War Nobody Wins
When every distributor cuts price to match the lowest number online, nobody makes money. Here is what actually happens inside a pr...
Read the articleWhy Your Best Aftermarket Accounts Are Going Direct
When a distributor's top accounts start buying direct from the manufacturer, it is never a surprise to everyone. Somewhere in the ...
Read the articleThe Counterfeit Parts Problem Distributors Won't Talk About
Every distributor knows counterfeit parts are in the supply chain. Most of them will not say so out loud. Here is what is actually...
Read the articleWhen the Warehouse Is Full but Nothing Is Selling
Inventory is the largest asset on most aftermarket distributors' balance sheets and the one most likely to quietly destroy their b...
Read the articleChip Carlson
Thirty years as an operator and senior executive in wholesale distribution and the automotive aftermarket. VP of International Business Development. President of CIMA International. These articles come from what I watched happen in the field, what I fixed, and what I watched others refuse to fix until it was too late.