The automotive market has been crawling in reverse for the past few years, judging from the number of active buyers available for rental or exchange. According to New York-based list brokerage services firm ParadyszMatera, the names of 2.7 million 12-month buyers from automotive parts and accessories catalogers were on the market during the fourth quarter of 2006. That’s down 1% from 2.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2005 and down more than 4% from the comparable quarter of 2004.
Multititle mailer J.C. Whitney & Co. has the largest house file in the segment, just shy of 684,000 12-month buyers. In addition to its core catalog, it mails specialty titles for trucks, sport compact cars, and classic VWs, among others. Stylin’ Concepts, which like Whitney is a unit of Automotive Specialty Accessories and Parts (ASAP), has the fourth largest active-buyer file, with nearly 135,600 12-month buyers. Stylin’ Concepts specializes in accessories for trucks and SUVs; number-two on the list, J&P Cycles, specializes in (surprise) motorcycle parts, with separate titles for current Harley-Davidson, vintage Harley-Davidson, and Metric bikes. Unlike the other merchants on the top-five list, AutoSport doesn’t specialize in aftermarket parts for specific models and makes; instead it sells auto and garage accessories and gifts, ranging from lumbar cushions to desk accessories to door openers.
A full quarter of the automotive catalogs received by ParadyszMatera last year offered at least one incentive, down a scant percentage point from 2005. Free shipping was the most popular incentive, with 16% of the auto books offering it last year and 17% the year before. Speedgear, which sells licensed apparel and gifts from Formula 1, Ferrari, Indy Racing, and the like, gave free shipping for orders of more than $50, while J&P Cycles reserved it for orders of at least $300, and Summit Racing Equipment provided free shipping only for orders weighing less than 150 lb. Performance Products, which sells parts for Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, trucks, and SUVs, was the most active incentive mailer last year, regularly offering 10% discounts on affinity credit-card orders.
House file universe: automotive catalogs
| 4Q 2004 |
1Q 2005 |
2Q 2005 |
3Q 2005 |
4Q 2005 |
1Q 2006 |
2Q 2006 |
3Q 2006 |
4Q 2006 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total universe | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
Automotive catalogs with the largest active buyer files
| Rank | List name | 4Q 2006 house file universe | Average order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.C. Whitney Buyers | 683,966 | $125 |
| 2 | J&P Cycles | 445,996 | $135 |
| 3 | Quadratec Essentials for Jeep Catalog Buyers | 177,869 | $163 |
| 4 | Stylin’ Concepts Catalog Buyers | 135,580 | $185 |
| 5 | AutoSport Catalog Buyers | 126,153 | $110 |
| Source: ParadyszMatera | |||