How do you choose the right auto battery range for your workshop?
Knowing what battery range is right for your business can often be a tricky task. You'll be thinking about what types of vehicles tend to come into your workshops, minus the 4-5 lifespan of a battery and then you'll have a customer bring their beautiful classic Holden in for a battery change and you'll be stuck. Over our time we've fitted plenty of batteries to Australian vehicles and our battery experts have crunched the numbers and uncovered that there's only 15 batteries that cover 80% of vehicles in the Australian market.
So, what are the best sellers?
It's no surprise to see the top batteries match up to the best-selling vehicles in the country over the last 5 years. Australians have always loved their Toyota's and over the last decade the Corolla, Hilux, and Rav4's feature heavily in the top 10 best sellers lists. However, to understand the aftermarket opportunity we need to go back 4 years to see what was popular in 2018. According to drive.com.au https://www.drive.com.au/news/vfacts-2018-annual-sales-wrap/ the most popular vehicles in 2018 were:
- Toyota Hilux
- Ford Ranger
- Toyota Corolla
- Mazda 3
- Hyundai i30
Interestingly, these top 5 Australian vehicles haven't changed much over the years, which helps us with our battery range selection. Here are the top 5 must-have batteries:
| 2544 | This battery has consistently been our top seller for 5 years now and accounts for 14% of our sales due to the breadth of market-leading models it covers. This essential battery in any range is suitable for Toyota Corolla Hatch (2012-2017), Rav4 (2006-2013), and the Camry (2006-2011). Plus the consistent top fiver the Hyundai i30 (2007-2013). |
| 2136 | Several best-selling Toyota's make 2136 a vital product in your range. This battery fits both the Toyota Corolla Sedan and Hatch (2007-2012) and the Yaris (2015 onwards) in addition to the popular Honda Civic (2006 onwards). |
| 3554 | To cover your customers with Hyundai i30 (2012-2016), Holden Commodores (2006-2013) and Captiva's (2011 onwards). It's also the best fit for a Volkswagen Golf (2009-2013) and the Nissan Qashqai (2014 onwards) |
| 3664 | This battery is a Hyundai must-have, fitting all i30's (2012 onwards) and the Tucson (2015 onwards). 3664 will also cover customers with a Holden Captiva (2011 onwards) and Kia Cerato (2013-2018). |
| 4504 | Rounding off the top 5 is 4504 which is the battery of choice for some of Australia's most popular utes, 4x4s and SUVs including the longstanding #1 best-selling vehicle the Toyota Hilux (2005-2015). It's also suitable for Toyota Kluger and Landcruiser Prado (2007 onwards), the Hyundai iX35(2013-2015) and the Izuzu MU-X (2013 onwards). |
Finally, round out your range with these additional 10 batteries to make sure you're covering 80% of vehicles on the market:
- 4704
- 4032
- 2384
- 4703
- 5375
- 3662
- 2382
- 3884
- 2542
- 2138
Start with a core range and tweak
When trying to figure out the right batteries to satisfy your customers needs Kevin Redmond, Head of Business Development and Sales has a couple of tips and tricks up his sleeve. "I'd always start with the top 15 products and then overlay the knowledge you have about the types of customers that come into your workshop. You might service plenty of commercial vehicles or perhaps it may be beneficial to carry a couple more Euro batteries for European cars."
"We work with plenty of customers nationwide and we have a solid understanding of the type of batteries that sell by local area. Our team is happy to share these insights with you and from there we'll review and tweak your consignment over the first 6 months to make sure we've got the right products for your workshop"
Consider how vehicle trends impact the batteries your store needs
Our Product Innovation & Engineering team collects plenty of information that can help our customers select the right range for their business. We have a comprehensive database of vehicle fitments and this is validated by dealer visits and feedback from the roadside patrols of the motoring clubs. Having access to all this rich information means that Richard Park, Product Engineer has his finger on the pulse when it comes to battery trends.
"Overall, we're seeing the breadth of batteries slowly start to consolidate over time. Recently Toyota started using the European standard batteries instead of Japanese and there's a declining trend in American standard batteries. With the increasing growth in more energy-efficient stop-start vehicles and higher power demand from advanced electronics which are now standard in modern vehicles, EFB and AGM batteries are experiencing double-digit share growth."
Battery selection can sometimes feel like a dark art. Whether you need support selecting the right range or perhaps you feel like your selection isn't quite right and you're missing out on sales - we're here to help. Get in touch and we'll make sure you have the right batteries to maximise the potential of your battery business.