Shifting Gears: The 2025 Automotive Aftermarket Purchasing Trends Report

Our latest white paper, “Shifting Gears: The 2025 Automotive Aftermarket Purchasing Trends Report,” is now available. The new research report dives deeply into the many factors driving consumers’ purchasing decisions and behavior in the automotive aftermarket. Backed by extensive survey results, it provides critical insight and data valuable to anyone in the industry looking to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers discover products, research options and their preferred shopping platforms.

Among the report’s many findings is that today’s automotive aftermarket consumers utilize a unique blend of modern and more traditional purchasing methods. Brick-and-mortar stores still perform well as the preferred option for purchasing and installing bigger-ticket items. For other purchases, consumers are increasingly turning to Amazon, which now accounts for one of every two aftermarket purchases. New technologies, like the rapid emergence of AI-generated search results, are also playing an increasing role in how customers discover products and gather information. Other key findings include:

• 50% of enthusiasts make their final purchase on Amazon or another major marketplace.
• Google Search is still the top starting point for aftermarket research at 46%, but 18% now start directly on Instagram or TikTok, outpacing YouTube and enthusiast forums.
• Facebook remains surprisingly dominant, driving four times more leads than Instagram for parts discovery, thanks to active enthusiast groups.
• Only 12% say they “never” watch influencer content, with more than half consuming creator-driven media weekly.
• AI is emerging fast. While only 1-2% currently start their research with ChatGPT or similar tools, generative AI is already influencing purchasing decisions via tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience.

Beyond summarizing our findings, “Shifting Gears: The 2025 Automotive Aftermarket Purchasing Trends Report” also provides actionable tips developed by our in-house experts. These tactics will allow your brand to create adaptive strategies to capitalize on shifting consumer preferences and gain market share in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Click on the link below to get your copy of this valuable report, and contact us for additional help with your 2025 marketing strategy.

Click to get Shifting Gears: The 2025 Automotive Aftermarket Purchasing Trends Report for free.