RECORDS CONTINUING GROWTH IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PARTS SALES

United Aftermarket Network (UAN), the UK’s most innovative automotive buying group, recorded a 10% growth in CV parts sales in the latter part of 2013 and this progress has been maintained into 2014. The buying group has continued to add new CV distributor members and new suppliers, helping to push sales to record levels in the first and second quarters of 2014.

The buying group now supplies a commercial vehicle parts network of over 35 distributor members with key replacement parts and the commercial vehicle purchases are growing at a faster pace at UAN than the general car aftermarket network.

Set against this is the overall sales increase in new commercial vehicles so far this year. Across the EU, according to ACEA (the European Automotive Manufacturers Association) sales grew in June by 10.3%, however, in the UK sales growth was particularly robust with sales up 25.5%

This continues a trend indicates ACEA, CV sales in April grew for the eighth consecutive month, total registrations were up by 5%. In the UK in the first four months of the year CV sales were up by over 7% and van sales up by an impressive 12%. With this market information, UAN’s Phil Dodd has maintained his prediction that the CV aftermarket for parts will continue to grow during 2014 in the UK.

A key element identified by UAN, and one that is vital for CV aftermarket growth and profitability, is training. With the increasing complexity of today’s modern trucks and vans, technicians need to be fully up to speed with the latest technologies to be able to service and repair vehicles. UAN has developed a range of training programmes designed to support the independent workshop to be able to deal with all the latest repair and maintenance technologies.