Car companies not only make cars, but also do derivatives business - the car aftermarket has changed, do you feel it?

November 02, 2024

From car aromausers and dashboards to car refrigerators and rice cookers, cars are becoming more and more like "home". In particular, many new energy owners like to "decorate" new cars. With the penetration rate of domestic new energy vehicles exceeding 50% for three consecutive months, this preference of consumers has affected the entire automotive aftermarket, driving the sales of related automotive derivatives to rise. At the same time, the characteristics of the high degree of intelligence of new energy vehicles also extend to the maintenance and repair of the automobile aftermarket, promoting its development in the direction of standardization and intelligence.

There are more car derivatives and they sell better

Car companies not only build cars, but also sell dolls, watches, umbrellas - many new energy vehicle brands have launched related derivatives.

Compared with fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles have more decorative space. For example, many NIO owners have bought a variety of hats for the on-board intelligent assistant NOMI to make the vehicle more personalized; Some owners hang a variety of cute dolls behind the car screen; Some owners have installed a central control dock, which can not only charge multiple devices at the same time, but also has the decorative role of atmosphere lights.

Driven by this trend, car companies have begun to get involved in the field of derivatives. The Xopeng MONA M03 has developed a variety of accessories, including adjustable head-and-neck pillows, memory cotton waist rests, ice crystal sunshades, armrests, fragrance storage boxes, and plug-and-play dashboards. Millet launched the Mi home car portable charge and discharge gun, car pickup atmosphere light, car front windshield umbrella, car karaoke microphone and so on. Ideal and OPPO jointly launched a customized version of the watch, which can be unlocked without feeling when worn near the vehicle.

Changes in car owners' consumption preferences have expanded the category of automotive derivatives.

Dashcams are becoming more and more popular. "Some accidents are impossible to prevent, and with the recorder, the investigation will be more convenient." When you drive, you have to be safe first." Mr. Wang, the owner of the car, said that today's dashcam is not the same as in the past, not only has high-definition resolution, high-speed video, but also voice control, track playback, speed display and other functions, more intelligent and better.

Consumer demand for vehicle comfort and aesthetics is increasing. "Driving out in the summer, the car refrigerator is very powerful, and you can ice drinks or fruits at any time on the hour when you're tired on the road, and it doesn't take up too much space." Mr. Luo, the owner of the car, is a self-driving tour enthusiast. In his view, buying a car refrigerator is a cost-effective consumer experience. Car rice cooker has also become a good travel partner for many owners. On the Tmall platform, the annual growth rate of car rice cooker sales this year has reached 1400%.

Personalized products such as aromatherapy car hanging and body stickers are also favored by a new generation of consumer groups. Ms Ye, the owner of the post-95 generation, said: "The car is my second home, make the car beautiful, and the mood will be more happy when driving." As a loyal fan of Disney, Ms. Ye cleverly incorporated many Disney IP elements into the interior decoration. From the car phone holder in the shape of Star Delu, to the temporary parking sign in the pattern of Shirley Rose, and then to the seat belt shoulder cover in the style of Mickey, Ms. Ye has spent a lot of thought on creating a personalized space for her car.

Nowadays, the car is not only a means of transportation, but also a mobile space that integrates travel, leisure, social interaction and entertainment. Therefore, the car product innovation around the life scene has become more and more diversified. From car refrigerators to aromatreatment pendants, car air purifiers, and then to pet car seats, more and more daily necessities are "moved" into the car, becoming a treasure to enhance the vehicle experience.

Maintenance services are smarter and more transparent

Maintenance is an important aspect of the automotive aftermarket. Walking into a third-party auto repair chain in Beijing, there are clean and tidy repair workshops, warm and comfortable waiting rooms, and free tea and candy. On the large screen in the waiting room, the whole process of vehicle maintenance is broadcast in real time, from the inspection of the engine to the replacement of the tire, every detail is transparent and standardized. "If I can't wait on site for something, I can also check the live broadcast of the work at my station and the estimated completion time on my mobile phone at any time. The whole process makes me feel at ease." Owner Mr. Hong said.

Intelligence and transparency are the development trend of the automotive aftermarket. The O2O (online to offline) model of automobile service is bringing a new consumption experience to users.

Through a car maintenance APP of the owner Ms. Wang, it can be seen that users only need to enter the license plate number, and the platform can obtain their vehicle information and past maintenance records, and then provide users with accurate product recommendations and personalized services, such as auto parts recommendations and maintenance reminders for owners. After users submit online orders for accessories purchase, maintenance, beauty and other services, they can go to any offline chain store to enjoy the service.

In the order, everything from materials to work hours is detailed at a glance. "Every one of my purchases is clear, and I no longer have to worry about irrational consumption because of information asymmetry." And every product purchased has a retrospective source code, which can track every link of the product from the origin to the consumer, which really makes us feel at ease to buy and use." Ms. Wang said.

On the basis of standardization, the automotive aftermarket is gradually realizing the upgrading and transformation of services with the help of intelligent technology, bringing consumers a more professional, convenient and personalized service experience.

Behind this trend, the market share of new energy vehicles in China has increased year by year. According to the latest data from the National Passenger Car Market Information Association, the retail penetration rate of domestic new energy vehicles in September this year was 53.3%, an increase of 16.8 percentage points from September 2023, and exceeded 50% for three consecutive months. Experts said that from the perspective of the full life cycle, the total maintenance cost of pure trams and plug-in vehicles is not lower than that of fuel vehicles, and the pre-sale and after-sales separation model will also promote the development of third-party systems.

At the beginning of this year, Tuhu Car Maintenance and Huawei jointly launched the "one thing, one code" solution, by writing the full link flow information of auto parts into the blockchain, to build a trusted supply chain across regions, industries, and enterprises. When buying related lubricants on the Tuhu car maintenance platform, consumers scan the two-dimensional code on the package with their mobile phones and can see the full link flow information of the purchased goods. Tuhu also launched six new energy vehicle exclusive services such as power battery repair and charging pile maintenance, and signed contracts with 16 upstream battery factories and successively launched internal and external battery maintenance business.

Transparent price system, "online + offline" integrated buying process, standardized professional service guarantee and intelligent and efficient operation mode are all key factors for consumers to actively embrace the changes in the automotive market.

Automotive aftermarket development prospects are good

China's automobile market has gradually entered the mature stage from the growth stage. Statistics released by the Ministry of Public Security show that as of June this year, China had 440 million motor vehicles and the number of motor vehicle drivers exceeded 530 million. With the steady expansion of passenger car ownership, China's automotive aftermarket is expected to achieve a larger market size.

While there are huge opportunities, China's auto aftermarket also faces some problems. For example, in the fields of automobile maintenance, accessories, beauty and peripheral supplies, product quality is uneven, and market behavior is not standardized.

Gao Qiang, chairman of the Automotive aftermarket Branch of the China Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Maintenance and Transformation Technology Association, believes that to promote the high-quality development of the automotive aftermarket, it is necessary to improve the voluntary certification to promote the high-quality development mechanism of auto parts, promote the mutual recognition of domestic standards related to auto parts and other national standards, and create more benign circulation environment for auto parts. At the same time, it is necessary to guide the circulation of auto aftermarket parts, reduce unnecessary circulation links, and reduce circulation costs.

In the face of the development trend of electrification, intelligence and networking of the automobile industry, Gao Qiang suggested that a multi-channel and multi-format auto parts circulation network should be built, and automobile manufacturers should be guided to continuously improve the after-sales service network, provide standardized and convenient vehicle maintenance and repair services for car owners, and meet the diversified needs of consumers for auto aftermarket parts.

Experts said that compared with developed countries in Europe and the United States, China's auto aftermarket scale, standardization, branding, specialization level is not high, there is still a lot of room for development. In recent years, the relevant departments have focused on the key links and key areas of the automotive aftermarket, issued a number of documents, and the policy effect is gradually showing.

According to the data of China Chain Management Association, in 2023, the top 50 chain enterprises in China's auto aftermarket have a total of 84,800 stores, of which 9 enterprises have more than 1,000 stores. Among the Top50 enterprises, 14 have been established for more than 20 years, 11 have been established for 11-20 years (inclusive), 21 have been established for 5-10 years (inclusive), and 4 have been established for less than 5 years. It can be seen that most of the relevant enterprises in China's automobile aftermarket have developed for many years and have rich operational experience, and are expected to achieve higher quality development under the guidance of policies and driven by market demand.

"Overall, China's automotive aftermarket development prospects are good." Xu Haidong, deputy chief engineer of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said that at present, China's auto aftermarket is still dominated by the 4S store model, but third-party brand companies are accelerating development, and Internet companies have also "entered". With the increasing standardization of the market, demand and diversification of business forms, the value of the automotive aftermarket will be more prominent, and the automotive aftermarket will become an important growth point of China's automotive industry.

Author:

Mr. yin chang

E-mail:

yinchanghaoshuai@163.com