Aftermarket Insider Issue 69 - (Page 16)

MARKET iNTElliGENCE lookinG aHead, lookinG Up Inaugural AAIA/Northwood University Business Confidence Index Released C : OM M ENTARY BY DR . T IM OT HY NA S H, NOR T HW OO D U NI v ER S I T Y M NAS NO R NIv E R “Now that we have established a base level month, we will be able to correlate future changes in the indices to industry and economic factors more closely,” said Dr. Timothy Nash, Northwood University. “We believe these Confidence Indices will play a major role in predicting and/ or validating major trends in the automotive aftermarket and the economy over time.” the inaugural results of the AAIA/Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Business Confidence Index for January 2011. The index indicated that aftermarket business leaders were roughly twice as confident in the future of the automotive aftermarket over the next 12 months, than they were regarding the economy in general. AAIA members completed the monthly index survey providing a good across-the-industry sample of respondents. The data shows that aftermarket business leaders were roughly twice as confident in the future of the automotive aftermarket over the next 12 months, than they were regarding the economy in general. In January, 21 percent of respondents were significantly more confident about doing business in the aftermarket over the next 12 months, while 50 percent were slightly more confident over the same period. In addition, 21 percent of respondents saw AAIA and Northwood University announced their confidence unchanged over the next 12 months with only 8 percent of aftermarket leaders slightly less confident with business over the same period. In January, aftermarket index respondents were less optimistic about the economy in general. Only 4 percent were significantly more confident in the economy over the next 12 months with 54 percent slightly more confident about the economy over the same period. In addition, 27 percent saw no change in confidence, while 19 percent were slightly less confident about the economy and 1 percent was significantly less confident regarding the economy over the next 12 months. The overall AAIA/Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Business Confidence Index for the month was 42.1, which is on the high-end of “slightly more confident.” A nine-point increase in the index will place it in the 51-100 range, which would indicate that leaders 16 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 69 http://www.aftermarket.org/Publications.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 69

Aftermarket Insider Issue 69
Contents
President’s Message
Top 10 of 2010
Technology Update
Member Profile
Toolbox: Young Employees
Toolbox
Segment Update
Business Confidence Index
Market Intelligence
Green Highlight
Market Intelligence

Aftermarket Insider Issue 69