Good news for those in the exhaust segment: Consumer demand for catalytic converters is at a year high. Judging by online auction sales of the vital exhaust component, demand jumped 14% in the second quarter, according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions.
Sales from mid-July to mid-September are also on track to top Q1 and Q2 results; for the two-month period, sales are up 15% over the second quarter. Based on a sample of 400 sales listings, the average auction sale price was $159; the maximum price was $660.
How prevalent is Internet purchasing among specialty-equipment enthusiasts?
"The past two years, SEMA research has shown that the highest percentage of automotive enthusiasts indicate they purchased their performance parts and accessories over the Internet," says SEMA Research Analyst Ty Michael.
"Interestingly, roughly the same percentage of enthusiasts indicated that they purchased their parts at traditional brick-and-mortar shops. Thirty-nine percent of enthusiasts said they purchased on the Internet, compared to 31% who indicated they went to a physical location to make their purchases."
Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to comprehensive research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. More at www.terapeak.com/motors.