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The automotive aftermarket is seeing a whole lot of change and the CEO of Advance Auto Parts joins this episode of Auto Service World Conversations to go through it all, plus share his views on the Canadian operations of Carquest.
Shane O’Kelly shares his insights on the evolving landscape of the aftermarket industry and the company’s strategic priorities with host Adam Malik.
Have a listen to O’Kelly’s thoughts on the increasing role of technology, particularly in the areas of right-to-repair and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). O’Kelly emphasizes the critical need for shops to have access to vehicle data but also the need to properly learn what they really need.
“The number of situations where ADAS technologies may need to be adjusted or calibrated are also increasing,” he said. “You’re seeing more ADAS systems in a vehicle, and more vehicles with ADAS systems. And now for a shop, which equipment do they need to buy? What training do they need to execute?”
He also explains his company’s decision to keep the Canadian operations of Carquest within the company, after indicating in late 2023 that it would be up for sale. But after visiting stores in Canada, the company reversed the decision.
“I was blown away by the calibre and positive attitude of our team members,” he said after his visits. “The second thing was, I was impressed with the market opportunity, both in terms of the performance that the Canadian team has been putting up, but also where we can grow.”
Looking ahead, O’Kelly highlights the company’s focus on leveraging data and AI to enhance the customer experience, from optimizing product descriptions to providing personalized recommendations.
“What AI is doing is, is helping your search experience and providing insights that just naturally fit how your thought patterns work in an almost scary way,” he explained.
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