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Discount Store News, August 22, 1988 by Richard C. Halverson

Early Date Downshifts APAA Show Interest

CHICAGO--Because of an unusually early date in July, the 20th annual show of the Automotives Parts & Accessories Association failed to draw the buyer traffic of last year's show and lacked the usual volume of new products to generate excitement.

Accordingly, the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association show--held in the more desirable month of October--will assume greater importance this year than last.

That's the consensus of show officials, exhibitors and chain buyers alike.

Although some chains, such as Western Auto, sent their usual contingent (20 people), Nationwise, Columbus, Ohio, which recently bought Indianapolis-based Guarantee Auto, skipped the show entirely. In another cutback, American Discount Auto Parts, a unit of Rite Aid drug stores, cut its delegation to three from eight last year.

On the vendor side, Kenco, a Sparkomatic subsidiary, introduced no new truck accesories in Chicago. Instead it will introduce five new product lines at the SEMA show to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We were just a few weeks shy of being ready," said Scott B. Lederer, Kenco director of product development.

Moreover, Superior Industries, van Nuys, Cali., introduced no new truck accessories, even though its line was ready. Instead, it is waiting for the SEMA show, where it will mount its customary full display, said president Louis Borick. Superior brought no products to APAA, instead it settled for a video tape of its line and photos on the wall. It cut back to a 400-square-foot booth from a 1,600-square-foot, two-level booth in '87.

"We saved a substantial amount of money and noticed no depreciable decrease in our customer activity," he said.

Armor All cut back its booth to 300 square feet from 1,800 square feet in 1987, said marketing director Lawrence Kahn. Its booth displayed only photos, no products.

Because of the early show, a full month earlier than in 1987, Armor All "just wanted to make a presence, rather than a major effort," Kahn said.

Even show chairman Donald Goodman, president of Rose Auto, acknowledged that neither vendors nor retailers want such an early date. Chains don't want to invest in sending people to a show if next year's programs are unavailable, he said.

The July date was "a pain in the neck," while October or November is ideal, said John Gardella, motor sports director for Castrol. Vendors dislike tipping their hand so early, he said, because that gives competitors too much time to knock off their new introductions. Vendors want to follow up with sales calls right after a fall show, he said.

"I buy in October and November," said an East Coast chain's automotives buyer, who asked to remain nameless, "I don't want a show in July for next year."

Nonetheless, the APAA isn't a buying show anyway, many buyers said. Rather, it provides an opportunity to meet principals and renew contacts with old suppliers.

Conflicts with scheduling at McCormick Place forced APAA to hold the show in July, said spokesman Terence Miller. The problem of timing will begin correcting itself in 1989 with an August date. And beginning in 1990, the APAA will shift to an October show date, he said.

This year's show was quiet and didn't seem as crowded as previous shows, said Al Smitko, merchandise manager for Canadian Tire, Toronto. "We were able to see salesmen without waiting."

This year's show was better for buyers, said Bill Baker, A.I. Automotive Corp., New York. "It wasn't as packed," he said. "It was easier to get attention from manufacturers."

At least one buyer liked the earlier show date.

"For us it's great," said D. M. Brakke, buyer for K mart. "We plan six and eight months out, and I'll be wrapping up plans for the spring and summer of 1989 in the next two or three months," Brakke said.

"There weren't a lot of new products," he said, but more thought is being put into packaging and presentation of existing lines.

Brakke cited the matching seat cover and floor mat line of Saddleman, retail priced at $19.95 a pair, as an example.

"There aren't a lot of new products," said Mike Schmid, a buyer for Clover, Philadelphia. But of them, the woodbead seat cushion from Airguide and Amercep's Roger Rabbit and California Raisin plush figures caught his fancy. The figures attach to car windows with suction cups and are priced to retail at $9.99.

PHOTO : Due to an earlier than usual date, the APPA show failed to draw the buyer traffic of last year's show. VEndors, too, dislike the date and witheld many of their new product introductions.