More and more car owners are by-passing garage workshops for vehicle repairs and are fixing it themselves in a response to the cost-of-living crisis, according to parts supplier experts Online Automotive.
The aftermarket experts, who are celebrating a 17th year anniversary in the trade, are experiencing an unprecedented spike in demand from motorists, who are doing the work themselves rather than driving to a dealer, in order to save money.
Exhaust and brake parts top Online Automotive’s sales sheets, with £600k and £1.5mil respectively being sold in the past year.
And in terms of overall parts sales over the past three months, 77% were from individual motorists, looking to make the repairs away from an automotive centre.
Nicky Tsang, Sales Manager said: “We are seeing a surge in demand for our aftermarket parts from consumers, with a much bigger percentage of sales arising from this sector.
“We continue sell to independent garages and retail chains and boast a number of close relationships here, but this DIY market is certainly on the increase and we put this down to the cost-of-living crisis and more people trying to make savings wherever they can.”
Online Automotive also offers a ‘buy now, pay later’ finance scheme in a further show of support to motorists.
Customers can pay 25% of their bill at the point of purchase, with the remainder being spread over the following three months to lighten the load.
Nicky added: “We acknowledge that we’re living in challenging economic times, which is why we wanted to create a finance offering that allows customers to get vital maintenance work done, without hitting them hard in the pocket with one big bill.
“A lot of the parts are linked to road safety, so it is imperative that they can be purchased without delay.”
Online Automotive is also a BOSCH car service agent and has a team of technical experts who can advise on why parts fail, why they need replacing and the best solutions for each unique job.
For more information about their product portfolio and services, visit https://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk/
