How important are parts and accessories in retailing and to the future of the market?
With 20-plus years on the aftermarket side of the house, I’m probably a bit biased. We are all in business to make some money and have fun. Understanding the profit contribution the Parts, Accessories and Garments business can provide an individual dealer, it seems obvious that this segment can cover a lot of overhead and create some great fun for employees and customers alike.
As mentioned, all OEM powersports products are designed to meet a certain customer profile. So from the start, an OE product is designed for an average customer within a fairly narrow customer profile/target. As I indicated previously, the right custom P&A product allows the dealer to engage the customer in creating his or her perfect bike. Perfect for their individual form, fit or functional need. In the end, this process helps the dealer retail more bikes, trikes, ATVs, PWC, snowmobiles, UTVs, and pickups and OTR semis, for that matter.
Where do you see A3 in the next two to five years?
As a startup, the reality is that we have too few products, too few dealers, too few OEM relationships and more opportunities than we can shake a stick at. Our challenge is to sort through these opportunities and develop those that will expand our appeal at retail. That success will attract more dealers and OEMs. Successful product and dealer support will drive even more success. Our objective is to help great customers get more enjoyment out of their rides, and if we achieve that, we will continue to be successful.
In the short term, we continue to develop more product, are completing some dealer marketing/retail support videos and creating new products for Lehman/Champion. On that product front, we continue to strive for jewel-like quality, great reliability and dealer support that exceeds expectations, all at very competitive price-points.
This story originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Dealernews.
