"Appearance products, and particularly those products within the formulation and chemical category like cleaning products, waxes/polishes and touch-up paints, are one among the few aftermarket product categories during which jobbers can control their own sales destiny. Unlike having to exchange a failed alternator, for instance , appearance products are ones that buyers buy through choice instead of necessity.

For the buyer , there's not much excitement in getting a replacement underhood or undercar replacement hard part, whereas with appearance products there's satisfaction in buying and employing a product that produces visible improvements in the consumer’s vehicle. Because these are elective purchases, jobbers can increase the sales of appearance products through traditional techniques like effective promotion, display and merchandising, appropriate inventory, and knowledgeable counter staff. This product category also lends itself to premium sales.

The U.S.-based Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) says that the marketplace for automotive specialty equipment, which incorporates appearance products, increased quite four percent in 2001 and has grown continually in sales almost per annum since 1985, driven by the consumers’ desire to guard their investment in what's , second to their home, their largest financial investment. In addition, people are spending longer in their vehicles due to growing commuting times and increasing use of vehicles for transporting children to a spread of activities. With longer spent in vehicles, consumers will spend money to stay their vehicles wealthy .

Matt Carlson, product manager at Plasti-Kote, agrees that this market is growing and says that among the demand-driving factors are “better consumer awareness of the products available and of the products’ functions and capabilities.” He also notes that today there are many diverse products available to satisfy consumer needs.

He says that the age of the vehicle features a concerning the degree of use of those products, and notes that on newer vehicles, products like Anodizit or floor Liner are wont to enhance the looks of the vehicle, but when the vehicle is older, other products are wont to maintain the looks or bring it back to the OEM look.

“We find it valuable to possess refinished sample items coated with our products to point out the customer what the top look are going to be . A display rack with an honest selection of product is far and away the foremost effective way of selling these products. We use the highest shelf of those display racks to market new products and provides them the simplest viewing position.”

Greg Morton, head of Meguiar’s, says that some consumers are under the misunderstanding that they don’t need to do much to guard the finish of their new vehicles because of coating advances at the OE level. “This could even be a misunderstanding because the environment is worse than it ever has been and it's constantly attacking the finish,” Morton says.

However, he says, those that do buy, buy premium. “Jobbers are starting to understand that the purchasers who buy these products are automotive enthusiasts and that they are trying to find premium products. For this reason i think that jobbers should carry top-of-the-line products. The enthusiasts want higher-end products, and for the jobber this suggests extra money in sales per facing – tons extra money within the same amount of space. The enthusiast customers know quality and that they search for it.”

Observing that this is often a really strong DIY category, Morton says his company recommends a four-pronged attack in inventory and display. “We recommend carrying a wash, a polish, and a wax plus maintenance products, like products for tires. Two of the fastest-growing categories immediately are products for leather and vinyl and tire products.”

In addition to the concept of protecting a valuable asset, Bill Wheeler of 3M says that the convenience of accomplishing