Competitive Profiling of Key Automotive Aftermarket Buying Groups and Distributors in the EU5, 2017

Consolidation in Europe and Slowdown in Replacement Demand will Drive Local Buying Groups and Distributors to Look to Foreign Markets for Business Expansion

The European automotive aftermarket parts distribution is witnessing a rapid growth. Europe is home to some of the leading Original Equipment Suppliers (OES) that are continuously on the lookout for buying groups and distributors that align with the philosophy of the company.

Report segments the automotive distribution ecosystem into two:

• Buying group: An association of distributors partnering with an aim to enhance their collective purchasing power to achieve the best prices  from their suppliers. A buying group is usually a large conglomerate that ensures smaller associated entities can work within the operating rules of the umbrella group. The buying groups covered in the scope of this research are ATR, Temot International Limited, Group Auto International, LKQ international, Autodis, Uni-Select, and Rhiag Group.
• Regional distributors: A distributor is a sub-entity that purchases noncompeting products or product lines, stocks them in bulk, and resells them to retailers or direct to the end users. Most distributors leverage on getting supplier benefits or manufacturer's promotional efforts for selling more of a particular brand. The distributors covered in the scope of this research are Alliance Automotive Group, Andrew Page, Rapid Group, Dingbro, WM, Matthies, HESS Auto, Autolia, IDLP, Laurent, NOVA, IDIR, OVAM, GS Autobat, Lausan, and Cecauto.

This research profiles the key automotive buying groups in the EU5 Region (the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the respective domestic distribution scene. The research service also gives insights into supplier partnerships, key accounts, retail partnerships, distribution strategy, private label portfolios, revenue benchmarking, and overall regional, pan-EU benchmarking among others. The study also covers business strategy and future investment avenues. It sheds light on product benchmarking and distribution channel benchmarking. Regional technology trends and growth potential in the next 5 years are also some of the highlights covered as a part of the benchmarking. Amongst other strategic content, the research also looks into the impact of geo-politics on the EU5 region, especially Brexit and the Catalan Crisis in Spain, and their impact on smaller regional distributors and changing dynamics of the automotive supply chain.

The base year for analysis is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2023. All revenue and financial information is provided in Euros. The research service will also focus on:

•  Overall regional revenue in 2017
•  Overall buying group revenue by region in 2017
•  Regional distributor revenue by country in 2017
•  Private label portfolio - distributor and buying group
•  Key Business to Business (B2B) partnerships and supplier accounts
•  Buying group - benchmarking by scalability, market attractiveness, supplier strength, investments
•  Distributor - benchmarking by scalability, market attractiveness, supplier strength, investments

Research Focus

The insight focuses on the key buying groups and distributors in the following regions:

• UK
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain

Key Features

The key areas of analysis are as follows:

• Overall regional revenue in 2017
• Overall buying group revenue by region in 2017
• Regional distributor revenue by country in 2017
• Private label portfolio - distributor & buying group
• Key B2B partnerships and supplier accounts
• Buying group - benchmarking by scalability, market attractiveness, supplier strength, investments
• Distributor - benchmarking by scalability, market attractiveness, supplier strength, investments

Key Issues Addressed

• What are the key trends in the automotive distribution landscape?
• Who are the key distributors and buying groups in the EU5 region?
• What is the impact of megatrends on the distribution aftermarket?
• What are the key suppler - distributor partnerships and associations in the EU5 aftermarket supply chain?
• What is the impact of regional socio-political development on the aftermarket distribution economy?

Key Conclusion

• Buying groups are increasingly associating themselves with name brand garages (Bosch Car Service Shops), retailers and local fitters, ensuring sustained cross brand demand
• European consumer behavior for passenger vehicles ensure pull-based demand for new OE quality parts over remanufactured parts
• Bosch, ZF-TRW, Continental, Valeo, Delphi, and Mahle among others are the go to suppliers. Local sourcing gives buying groups monetary and logistical gains, and domestic relevance in the aftermarket supply chain
• New business models like eCommerce and service aggregation likely to strain supplier-buying group partnerships, as distributors will look to sell through digital avenues
• Regional distributors in Europe are likely to shift focus from just mechanical parts to a mix of both collision parts and electro-components