Vehicle Accessorization: The Key To Selling Success In Today's Competitive Market

By adding restyling sizzle to in-stock units — be they new or used, import or domestic, passenger cars or light - duty trucks — you will pique customer interest, build a strong dealership identity and boost floor traffic. The more traffic you bring in, the more vehicles your customers drive out — and the more your dealership’s profits add up.

In fact, consumers typically spend an average of $1,000 — and often as much as $3,500 — per vehicle annually on accessories, but dealers only capture a mere 16 percent of all accessory sales. That leaves a lot of money on the table. Money your customers should be spending at your dealership.

From a consumer’s point of view, accessorizing makes a vehicle more personal and unique, more lifestyle compatible, more comfortable and certainly more fun to drive. And there’s a vast array of accessories that can do the trick. From specialty wheels and tires, to sunroofs, graphics, ground effects and truck gear, to interior upgrades, such as dash kits, leather seating or mobile entertainment systems, there are easy styling solutions to significantly boost inventory turns and increase bottom-line profit on nearly every in-stock unit.

Accessorizing is the cornerstone to building high-margin profit centers throughout a dealership, from F&I and fixed operations to new and used car departments. But it takes more than selling a few colorful accessories to maximize your restyling dollars. It also involves fashion and science. So, it stands to reason that dealers need to team up with a restyling expert, and throughout the country, there are qualified professionals who have the skills, know-how and expertise to create appealing, high-profit accessory packages.