Premium gas at minimum price
A recent gas pump malfunction caused a San Antonio convenience store to sell premium gasoline for 38 cents, a little shy of its intended $3.89 per gallon. The malfunction, a misplaced decimal point, went unnoticed by Dill Food Market workers for an entire day. Spurred by the heavy stream of vehicles filling up on premium gas and paying at the pump, the manager finally investigated, revealing the unintended price cut. The independent gas station lost a lot of money, but just how much remains unknown. Gas at a premium...discount.Aftermarket remedies child abandonment
Forgetful parents, rejoice. Canadian-based Davdon Enterprises has developed a pressure-mounted sensor alarm for child car seats. Activated by a child's weight, the alarm is triggered when a vehicle is turned off but an occupant remains in the car seat. Child safety at its finest.
Advertising plan: game on
The creation of an innovative and creative marketing strategy for the 2009 Ford Flex proved little more than a game to creators Ford Motor Company and Team Detroit — literally. As part of the promotional plan for the vehicle, the Flex Xbox Live Branded Destination Experience and Xbox Marketplace Downloads will allow gamers to access pictures, theme packs and videos on their consoles. Interactive marketing: 1; Ford Flex sales: yet to be determined.
Letters to the editor
Dear Editor,
I read with interest (Bob Moore's "Many unhappy returns" column) in the August issue of Aftermarket Business. Inventory is important to our success so we try hard to keep up with it. Do we have too much? Maybe, but with competition as it is, I'd rather have it than not have it. I agree wholeheartedly on the 20-minute delivery. The installers are spoiled and are bullying the jobbers who serve them. Presently, there are too many people selling auto parts, which gives the installers tremendous leverage. I feel consolidation and hard times may help to solve this inequity, but it will be slow.
Walter McLaughlin
Several readers responded with comments about their inventories that were similar to Walter's. The attitude that "I'd rather have it than not have it" stresses that availability continues to be one of the key strategic differentiators between aftermarket suppliers, especially those in the middle of the channel. But as parts proliferation in all varied facets and iterations continues, the pressure to have the "right" inventory will only increase. That means that we must begin to look for collaborative solutions that impact everyone in the supply chain: manufacturers, distributors and stores. There is more inefficiency "between" our businesses than there is "within" our businesses. That means finding ways to address the aftermarket's surplus "collective inventory" is at least as important as managing our individual inventories. We will continue to look for solutions and stimulate dialog on this critical issue.
Bob Moore
