Why keeping your parts department top of mind with customers is the key to your bottom line. For many parts departments, the idea of customer retention marketing is met with: "we don't have time… we're too busy!" With many struggling to find enough hours in a day to manage orders and inventory, it's understandable that marketing doesn't fall at the top of the to-do list.
This creates the challenge parts departments often encounter: the need to meet parts revenue goals with limited resources. By understanding which customers offer the most value to your bottom line, you can position your parts department for success by using deliberate, targeted, and cost-effective customer retention strategies. This approach is backed by data - part sales data shows that engaging existing customers offers the strongest returns while requiring fewer resources.
Customer retention by the numbers
According to 2023 OEC eCommerce data, a loyal shop spends an average of $34.6K annually - that's 5.2 times more than a new customer. The numbers speak for themselves, but the underlying point needs to drive parts department marketing strategies. $28K in potential sales is a sizeable number - the difference in annual spend between existing and new customers - that can be the difference between hitting your goals or falling short.