In Europe, there are around 50 million heavy goods vehicles and buses, and the sale of spare parts for them reaches the level of around EUR 10bn per year. What is more important, after the crisis in 2008, the transport industry – natural customer of independent distributors of spare parts – recovered and is intensifying its purchases. Manufacturers of commercial vehicles record an increase in sale of new cars, which is especially visible in case of heavier vehicles, above 16 tons GMV.
Independent garages fight with OE garages to repair that fleet. The independent ones attract customers with favourable prices and better and better quality of products of private brands offered by the distributors. On the other hand, OR garages use long-term servicing contracts, which are concluded on the purchase of a new vehicle even for 7-8 years. As opposed to passenger market segment, truck segment does not have such a wide access to parts and technical information. „We need to open the eyes of European decision makers and help them understand that the independent automotive industry in Europe is several thousand workplaces. The operators of the independent aftermarket in truck segment love competition, but we want to be able to compete as peers” – said Pierre Fleck.
CEO of Europart Holding divides the distributors of spare parts for HGV operating in Europe into specialized companies and those with general profile. The first ones offer their goods only to truck segment. „As a Frenchman I perfectly understand that from setting up a winery to producing good wine there are about 15 to 20 years. Similarly long time it takes to convince mechanics from truck garages to your products” – said Pierre Fleck. This is how Europart, Opoltrans or Autos work. While distributors with general profile – such with customers are passenger and truck garages – take advantage of two advantages of a model adapted by them. „Their suppliers from passenger cars segment very often also operate in truck segment. Additionally, such companies use their logistics which has been prepared for the needs of passenger cars market to distribute truck parts” – said Pierre Fleck. In Poland Inter Cars is such an example, and in Europe big players such as Trost or Rhiag. Which model is better? According to Pierre Fleck, in most European countries, leaders of the market are specialized companies.
„If you think that competition on Polish market is strong, it will be even tougher in the coming years. Thanks to the situation that Polish market lacked strong players, Poland got a kind of isolated from European trends” – said Pierre Fleck. This is to be changed now, as 2-3 years ago in whole Europe we could see a trend of consolidation started. „In the agriculture segment this has already happened, now it is time for distribution of spare parts for trucks. Only after consolidation our industry will be strong enough to fight with success with the competition on repair services market, against OE garages. Otherwise we will all remain just small players with no real influence on market situation” - warned Pierre Fleck.
The industry is to follow consolidation in transport sector. Today fleets of vehicles are driven all over Europe, and only carmakers currently have garage chains which cover the whole continent. „Transport companies are our best customers, who are constantly forcing us to develop. They are customers who cannot be sold a bad product” - said Pierre Fleck. Transport companies also force increasing the level of competence of garages. „An engine Euro III has nothing to do with and engine Euro VI. It can be compared to a situation when we have a problem with eyes and a surgery is needed. 10 years ago we would go to a surgeon and to such one who has at least 10 years experience. Today we would rather look for a surgeon with specialization in eye surgery, not an orthopedia surgeon” – said Pierre Fleck.
Polish market of spare parts for heavy goods vehicles is much different than mature western markets. „High level of dissatisfaction of customers is a result of high share of poor quality spare parts from China in the market. Competition from such products forces also lower prices in all Europe” – assessed Pierre Fleck. This negative phenomenon can also be seen in many cases of stopping trucks which belong to Polish companies by authorities in other countries.
Source: motofaktor.pl
2016-01-28
back