Automotive spare parts market was split into two main segments: 

• first assembly parts
• and aftermarket.  
   

The aftermarket, in turn, was divided into: 

• segment of parts which manufacturers sell under their own brand  
• segment of specialized manufacturers 
• and independent segment, which is composed of independent from car manufacturers distribution channels (wholesalers, shops, independent garages, car centres, etc.). 

Car manufacturers vs. independent spare parts manufacturers 

Manufacturers of automotive spare parts are at the same time suppliers of parts for car manufacturers and to independent distribution chains.  80% of parts used for the first assembly come from independent suppliers,and only 20% are produced by car manufacturers themselves, and those are mainly construction elements of the vehicles. 

Most parts offered by car manufacturers in their authorised service stations are parts which come from independent manufacturers, only sold under the brand of a car maker.  Actually they are the same quality parts, as so called cross references, offered by independent garages.  The customer is able to get the parts from three sources: directly from the distributor, via a shop or an independent garages.  

Market share by distribution channels of automotive spare parts: 

Inter Cars operates in the segment of new parts (and in a very small part in the segment of remanufactured parts) delivered mostly by independent manufacturers to repair garages, which compose around 92% of total number of garages in Poland [source:  SDCM].

Inter Cars a leader     

Inter Cars is a leader of Polish automotive aftermarket and in Central Europe.  The market share of the company in Europe, which estimated value is around EUR 70bn, is 1.2% (data for 2012 according to Wolk After Sales Experts), which places Inter Cars on the 2th place in the rank of the biggest spare parts distributors in Europe, and on the 6th place in world ranks (source:  own data of the Management Board of Inter Cars on the basis of data from Wolk After Sales Expert and data from Independent Automotive Manufacturers). 

 

Source: Wolk After Sales Experts: Ranking international car parts distributors in Europe oraz dane opracowanie własne na podstawie Worldwide IAM ranking

Independent garages in Poland 

In Poland there are around 19.5 thousand independent garages and around 1.5 thousand authorized service stations.  Most of independent garages perform all kinds of repairs, and the scope of their services is constantly developed.  Some of the garages from IAM specialize in some narrow areas, e.g. electronics and electrics or engine main repairs.  [Source: SDCM]. 
 

Quantitative division of the garages is a follows [source:  SDCM]:

1. Independent garages with full range of services - 13.5k. 
2. Highly specialized independent garages - 6k. 
3. Authorized service stations - 1.5k. 

Liczba warsztatów powoli, ale systematycznie spada, natomiast rośnie liczba stanowisk warsztatowych. Dzieje się tak dlatego, że słabsze, mniejsze warsztaty, które nie inwestowały w odpowiednie wyposażenie, szkolenia i rozwój firmy są zmuszone opuścić rynek. Ich miejsce zajmują nowoczesne serwisy zajmujące się naprawą samochodów osobowych i ciężarowych, w których przybywało stanowisk naprawczych. [źródło: SDCM]