Auto dealers continued to generate profits from accessories sales in 2011; average dealership generated over $260,000 for the year, with 45% average gross profit margin

Las Vegas, Feb. 4, 2012-- izmocars (www.izmocars.com) today released its annual AOA Auto Accessories Trend Report in conjunction with the 2012 National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. The report analyzes accessories sales data from dealerships across the country and highlights the accessories that were most popular with consumers in 2011; the categories that had the most traction across different U.S. regions, and the vehicle models that attracted the highest volume of accessories sales.

“In spite of economic pressures – and the residual impacts of the tsunami - dealerships continued to generate solid profits from accessories sales in 2011,” said izmocars Vice President Sidney Haider.  “With improved new car sales on the horizon, dealerships who have cracked the code of selling accessories are in a unique sweet spot for 2012. And, as the economy has driven consumers to hold onto their vehicles for record lengths of time, dealers and OEMs should note a key trend that surfaces in this report: more and more car buyers are opting for protection products, reflecting an emerging new car buyer mindset focused on a longer vehicle life.”

THE TOP TEN ACCESSORIES CATEGORIES IN 2011

Report Trend Highlights:

• Spurred by economic conditions, lengthening car ownership cycles and a year filled with extreme weather, Protection and Convenience accessories were the overall winners for 2011, with Paint Protection ranking number one in dealer profits, knocking Upholstery from its top spot for the previous year.  

• OE products also thrived throughout the year, gaining the 2^nd (Factory Exterior), 3^rd (Body Side Moldings), and 8^th (Factory Interior) spots in volume of parts sold for the year.  ‘Guard Thy Car’ was a definite theme in the breakdown of these categories, with consumers purchasing plenty of Mudguards, Splash Guards, Door Edge Guards, Bumper Protectors, Nose Masks and Door Sill Protectors.

• By region, long-life vehicle trends and the weather made for a common theme, with Protection dominating products sold. Window Tints, predictably, remained strong in the South, although the category did not make the top 5 in other less sunny regions. Floor mats remained the most popular category across regions in 2011, grabbing first place in the Northeast and Western regions and placing in the top 5 in all other regions.

The 2012 AOA Auto Accessories Trend Report is based on complete year sales data from a diverse sampling of 150 dealerships who utilized AddOnAuto.* In aggregate, they sold $39 million in accessories in 2011. The average dealership analyzed generated over $260,000 in annual sales of accessories to new car buyers in 2011 -- in addition to pre-installed parts and options, with an average of over $475 in accessories sales per vehicle sold, an average gross profit margin of 45%, and an after-commission net profit margin of 32.3%.

To view the full report, click here: http://www.izmocars.com/trend-reports/aoa-2012.pdf

 *All dealerships in the report sampling utilized AddOnAuto from izmocars www.izmocars.com/solutions/aoa

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@mwebbcom.com, or Angela Jacobson, +1-714-454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com