CarParts.com (PRTS) Gabelli Funds 48th Annual Automotive Aftermarket Symposium summary

Market overview and industry trends

• Automotive aftermarket is highly fragmented with a $405B TAM, expected to grow to $435B.

• E-commerce penetration in auto parts remains low at 22%, but consumer behavior is shifting online.

• DIY customers dominate, with 95% of sales to individuals and only 5% to wholesale or shops.

• Peak sales season is March to May, driven by weather improvements and tax refunds.

• Low-income consumers are deferring purchases due to economic pressures, but eventual conversion is expected.

Business model and customer insights

• Operates as a pure-play online provider with over 100M annual website visits and 6.8M orders last year.

• Average customer household income is under $100,000, typically with multiple cars.

• Average order value is $100–$120, with 1.5–2 items per basket.

• Over 30% of revenue comes from repeat customers on a 12-month lookback.

• 70% of sales are collision parts, 23% mechanical, and 2% other.

Technology, operations, and product assortment

• Recently replatformed website enables biweekly feature launches and improved user experience.

• Mobile app has 550,000 downloads and drives 8% of revenue; 80% of traffic is mobile.

• Integrated supply chain with 1.25M sq ft of warehouse space, reaching 99% of US population in two days.

• Over 1M SKUs, including both collision and hard parts, with 85% private label.

• New Las Vegas facility increases West Coast capacity by 150% and is expected to save $1M annually in labor.