Survey: truck add-ons picking up speed
Sales of light truck accessories represent a significant growth opportunity for automotive retailers, with trailer hitches, hood deflectors and bed liners among categories growing in popularity, according to a recent study by Foresight Research.
The survey of 40,000 recent truck buyers revealed an average of $1,000 spent on accessories. Buyers of the Escalade EXT spent the most, doling out $1,470 for add-ons.
Accessory growth areas include spray-in bed liners, grill guards and tonneau covers, while categories showing declining interest are caps and drop-in bed liners. The primary source for performance and appearance items was the dealership, while aftermarket retailers were the destination for other accessories.
Other findings of the survey showed that the Internet is a primary resource used in shopping for accessories, followed by magazine advertising and then word of mouth. Aftermarket stores rated very low as a resource in truck accessory awareness, at only 3.5% compared to the Internet, which was the top resource at 30.7%.