AddOnAuto Accessories Trend Report reveals strong in-dealership accessories sales; average dealership analyzed sold accessories to over 50% of customers and generated 48+% average gross profit margin

AddOnAuto (AOA) today released its annual Auto Accessories Trend Report that analyzes 2012 accessories sales data from dealerships across the country. The report highlights the accessories that were most popular with consumers in 2012, including the categories that had the most traction across different U.S. regions and the vehicle models that attracted the highest volume of accessories sales.

“A strong year for vehicle sales, including an 8% rise in truck sales, along with factors such as longer vehicle ownership cycles, more technology choices and harsher winters impacted accessories trends in 2012, as consumers continued to demand more protection, convenience, utility and personalization for their vehicles,” said AddOnAuto President Sidney Haider. “The old days of standard combinations of options and features are over, with consumers demanding more choice and more instant visualization as they accessorize their vehicles. As our report shows, dealerships who met this demand reaped robust revenue from accessories sales in 2012 – and are poised to win the accessories sales game in 2013.”

The #1 selling accessories by volume, by revenue, and by profit were protection products:
By Volume: #1 Floor Mats, #2 Factory Exterior, #3 Body Side Moldings
By Revenue: #1 Paint Protection, #2 Alarms, Remote Starts & Recovery, #3 Upholstery
By Profit: #1 Paint Protection, #2 Alarms, Remote Starts & Recovery, #3 Step Bars

To view the Top Ten Accessories Categories in 2012, click here.

Report Trend Highlights:

•     Protection Products (Floor Mats!) Rule: Carrying over from a strong showing in 2011, Protection products won the accessories game in 2012, with the continuation of longer car ownership cycles and harsh winters contributing to the trend. Floor Mats rose to the top seller-by-volume position in 2012, outselling by 2-to1 the second most popular accessory, Splash Guards, (which led Factory Exterior, the number two ranking category by volume). In fact, Floor Mats were so popular that they ranked in the top 5 in all regions, as well as taking the sixth spot in the total revenue category and the eighth spot in total profit, even though their average price is much lower than other products.
•     Exterior Protection – plus Alarms and Remote Starts - Bring in the $$$: Paint Protection products took the number one spot in total retail sales and dealer profits. Two other kinds of protection - from robbery and from chilly weather - prompted a rise in sales of Alarms and Remote Starts in the second half, with a colder than usual winter probably helping push the category into second place for both total retail sales and dealer profits.
•     Convenience Trumps Style - Convenience was an important consideration for accessories consumers in 2012, with Cargo Trays and Cargo Organizers leading the seventh ranking Factory Interior category in total product sales. Meanwhile, increased truck and SUV sales fired up purchases of Step Bars, Hitches, Roof Racks and Cargo Carriers.
•     Accessorized by Brand: Japanese models, with the exception of high lines, racked up significant accessories sales in 2012, with the Camry ranking as the most accessorized model for the Toyota brand. Accord was number one for Honda, Altima was number one for Nissan and the Sonata was the most accessorized Hyundai. Meanwhile, Trucks, SUVs and Vans were the top accessorized models for domestic brands: Ford’s F-150, Chevrolet’s Equinox, GMC’s Sierra 1500, the Ram 1500, and Buick’s Enclave took the ‘most accessorized model’ spot for their respective brands.

The 2013 AOA Auto Accessories Trend Report is based on complete year sales data from a diverse sampling of 150 dealerships who utilized AddOnAuto.* They represent 18 brands and 5 regions across 30 states. These dealerships, in aggregate, have sold more than $56 million in accessories during the 12 months of 2012.

To view the full report, click here: http://www.izmocars.com/aoa-trend-report/AOA-Trend-Report-2013.pdf

About AddOnAuto
AddOnAuto (AOA) is an in-store accessories sales technology that helps dealerships effortlessly sell accessories within their dealership, and streamlines what was once a cumbersome, arduous (and unprofitable) task for dealers, producing significant results for hundreds of dealers across the country over the past 3 years. AOA has demonstrated that accessories sales are an excellent source of added – and diversified – dealer income: dealers using the AOA product average $500 in accessories sales per new vehicle sold, and closed over 50% of the customers who were presented with accessories, reaping an average gross profit of 48%.

To learn more about the AddOnAuto Digital Dashboard, please visit: http://www.izmocars.com/solutions/aoa.html
About izmocars
izmocars is a leading provider of Automotive Business Solutions including: Website and Online Marketing Solutions, Enterprise-level Automotive CRM, iConsult - Sales Performance Coaching and AddOnAuto - an In-Store Accessories Sales Solution.

izmocars is also the world's leader in Interactive Media Content for the automotive industry. Founded in 2002, izmocars services some of the most successful eDealers in the country.

izmocars is based in San Francisco, with offices in Long Beach, CA, Chattanooga, TN, Philadelphia, PA, and Brussels in Europe.

CONTACT: mWEBB Communications for izmocars
Melanie Webber, +1-949-307-1723, melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com, or
Angela Jacobson, +1-714-454-8776, angela(at)mwebbcom(dot)com