Pep Boys Revs Up $1.2B Import Performance Product Category

    PHILADELPHIA--Sept. 12, 2001--Pep Boys , the nation's leading full-service automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, today gave an added boost to the rapidly growing import performance product category by becoming the Official Retailer of the NOPI Nationals Motorsports Supershow - the largest import performance car show in the country.
    With approximately 80,000 fans expected to turn out for the event, scheduled for September 15 and 16 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Pep Boys will be able to interact directly with the consumers who have made import performance one of the hottest product categories this year.
    The market for import performance accessories exploded recently as sales have tripled since 1998, making import performance parts a $1.2 billion-a-year industry.
    "The purchase and installation of import performance accessories is becoming an important part of our business," said Mitchell G. Leibovitz, chairman, CEO and president of Pep Boys. "In order to expose our growing product offering to this relatively young customer segment, Pep Boys wanted an opportunity to interact with them in an environment that epitomizes the style and attitude that defines this market. That's why sponsorship of the NOPI Nationals is so important to us."
    In addition to Pep Boys' presence at the event, the company is taking part in the Tour 2001 to the NOPI Nationals, organized by SuperStreet and Maxx Power magazines. The three legs of the tour begin in Miami, Dallas and Philadelphia, where thousands of fans are expected to converge for a massive caravan to the show in Atlanta. Each night along the three routes, parties are scheduled to welcome the fans joining the caravan. Pep Boys will host events on September 12 in Philadelphia, as well as a NOPI Cruise Night in Greensboro, N.C., the following day.
    Perhaps the highlight of the show will be Pep Boys' display of a 2001 Mazda Protege, completely customized with APC (American Products Company) import performance parts and accessories, which will be given away in a sweepstakes Pep Boys is planning with APC. This fall, customers will be able to enter to win the show car by stopping by any of Pep Boys' more than 620 locations nationwide.
    Sponsorship of the NOPI Nationals is another in a long series of ways Pep Boys has been reaching out directly to automobile fans this year. The company was the presenting sponsor of the Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race and the title sponsor of this year's 50th Anniversary NHRA Nationals drag racing championships.