What 2025 Taught Us About the Aftermarket—And What Comes Next

What's really happening in the automotive aftermarket right now? Mike Chung, senior director, market intelligence at the Auto Care Association. He digs into the data to reveal the trends that matter most to shop owners and auto parts distributors. In this episode, held at AAPEX, we explore tariff impacts on parts supply, inflationary pressures on consumer purchasing, and a surprising shift in tire buying habits: why consumers are trading down to lower-tier brands and what that means for premium manufacturers' long-term customer loyalty. We also discuss delayed maintenance patterns, substitutionary product purchases, and what the data is forecasting for 2026. If you're trying to understand your customers' behavior and make smarter business decisions, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets to what the numbers actually reveal about the health and direction of the industry.