Import Performance Trend Continues to Climb

PHOENIX, March 4 -- CSK Auto, Inc. , operator of 1109 Checker, Schuck's, and Kragen Auto Parts stores throughout 19 western states, sees consumer interest in "import performance" products going nowhere but up. According to SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, the import segment of the performance industry is now growing at an exponential rate -- from about $400 thousand dollars a year in 1997 ... to $4.5 billion dollars today.

Just as those in their 50's fondly recall that GTO ... Mustang ... Roadrunner ... or hopped up Chevy Nova, today's generation has developed their own notion of what's hip. Currently, imports are the "hottest" segment of the performance market, comprised of 18 to 25 year-olds who are having their first love affair with a vehicle. Growing up at a time when imports were a coveted commodity and at their peak in quality, it seems only natural this group should regard them as worthy of their time and investment.

Capitalizing on this trend, CSK has opened more than 50 performance centers during the last two years in key markets. These are "stores within a store" that cater specifically to automotive hobbyists desiring to build and drive show-quality vehicles displaying the very latest in both technology and fashion accessories. Want to add a nitrous oxide system to your Honda Civic? CSK stores have it. How about a fuel injection performance kit for that Ford Focus? Call Checker, Schuck's, or Kragen.

CSK President Martin Fraser says many performance customers view their vehicles as a personal statement. "It's an extension of their mechanical creativity and knowledge ... a kind of bold proclamation of their personal desire to excel," he says. "That's very different from the demand for standard parts, which is founded on wear or outright failure. Performance customers buy on desire rather than need, and they tend to purchase automotive products more frequently. We're developing long-term relationships here."

CSK's Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, Hal Smith, believes these customers are driven to continuously improve their vehicle. "It's a process that's never really complete, because it's propelled by constant advances in automotive technology and ongoing shifts in what's 'hot' and what's not. That's why it's a great opportunity."