Last year, American motorists drove almost eight billion miles per day and consumed 139 billion gallons of gasoline. Seventy-nine percent of American workers commuted to work alone in their cars each day*. Since they’re spending so much of their time inside their vehicles, many consumers want them to be extensions of their personalities – resulting in significant spending to upgrade and personalize cars and trucks.

This trend has had an important influence on sales of auto air fresheners, exterior and interior accessories, lighting, cargo management products and towing and hitch equipment. According to NPD’s Aftermarket Industry Monitor, these categories represented over $1.4 billion in sales in the Auto Parts channel in 2004. Auto Parts retailers are responding to this demand by focusing on the range of automotive accessories available to consumers. Three key consumer trends are driving significant dollar volume growth within these categories at the product segment level.

Today’s Truck and SUV Lifestyle
Fifty-four percent of new vehicles sold in 2004 were light trucks and SUVs^*. Driving these vehicles has become a lifestyle in itself, often including towing boats, campers and other trailers. Truck owners are especially prone to making a personal statement by customizing and accessorizing their vehicles. Much of the customization is functional, as evidenced by 2004’s dollar sales of towing and hitch products increasing by 14.5%. But it’s not all purely functional: much of the spending is related to making a truck look good. Truck owners were a driving factor in last year’s growth of exterior segments such as grills and fender flares.

Performance is Hot
In the 1960s and 1970s, the “muscle car” was the rage. While the age of these gas-guzzling hot rods may be gone, the desire for high performance and the image that goes with it is back in full force. The performance craze has been fueled in part by Hollywood in the past couple of years, with movies such as “Fast and Furious” playing directly to the performance enthusiast. And those who don’t possess the mechanical expertise to make their cars faster often use auto accessories to project a fast image. Exterior scoops and vents are one way to make a car look fast whether or not these items have a functional purpose as they do on a genuine high performance car. Scoops and vents increased 30% in dollar sales in 2004. Inside the car, accessories such as boost pressure gauges, which saw dollar sales increase 25% in 2004, allow drivers to monitor engine performance while conveying the desirable “racecar” look. The desire for racing style also helped pedal covers to grow by 9% in dollar sales last year,and seats to grow by 34%.

On-the-Road Convenience and Comfort
Outfitting vehicles to fit lifestyle and personality is not limited to drivers of trucks and SUVs or performance enthusiasts. Consumers who may not consider themselves “hobbyists” when it comes to the vehicles they drive also contribute to increasing sales of auto accessories. While not everyone can invest thousands of dollars into a fully customized vehicle, you can personalize your car’s environment with an air freshener for just a few dollars. In 2004, dollar sales for air fresheners increased by almost 7% in the Auto Parts channel. Decorative license plates are also an inexpensive means of personalizing your car and these items grew by 18% versus last year. Last year, America’s road warriors also created double-digit growth in sales of compasses, travel mugs, map lights and thermometers.

*Some statistics used in this story sourced from:
US Department of Transportation/ Federal Highway Administration
US Department of Energy/ Energy Information Administration
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
US Department of Commerce/ Bureau of Economic Analysis

All Other data: The NPD Group/NPD Automotive/ Aftermarket Industry Monitor