Drivers tackling more DIY projects during pandemic — NPD research

HOUSTON — With more time on their hands thanks to COVID-19, many car owners throughout the U.S. are tackling more do-it-yourself projects this year, including tire and wheel care, according to research firm NPD Group Inc.

New data from NPD show a spike in sales of tire- and wheel-care products amid a larger increase in DIY projects people are tackling while waiting out the pandemic.

"It's fascinating watching what's happening with the DIY consumer ... at home really the last six to eight weeks," Nathan Shipley, executive director of industry analysis with a focus on automobiles at NPD, said.

"We really tie the growth of these categories back to when stimulus checks started rolling out, which was late April."

NPD uses a variety of channels to track consumer spending, including point-of-sale data directly from retailers, consumer surveys and analysis of receipts.

"A lot of discretionary categories in the aftermarket started seeing significant growth. I'm talking 20%, 30%, 40% growth versus a year ago," Mr. Shipley said.

Drilling down into the overall automotive category, he indicated more people are spending more time sitting on their haunches in front of their vehicles.

Sales of tire care products, including sprays, wipes and gels, rose 25% in May over the previous May. Wheel care products, including wheel and brake cleaners for example, were up 35% in May, Mr. Shipley reported.

"Our theory about what is going on is a couple of things. It's not really pent up demand per se," he said. "We think there's a lot of people that are at home that are finding time for projects whether that be home projects but also projects related to their car. We believe these projects are happening on their daily drivers but also on their project cars."

NPD gathers and analyzes data from about 20 different retail industries, including automotive. It has access to data from retailers such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys and Walmart.

Other segments seeing significant growth related to automobiles include washes and waxes, floor jacks and stands, penetrating oils, paint and body repair products, Mr. Shipley said.

People are spending more time sitting on their haunches and turning their attention toward their tires as they consider driving vacations in lieu of flying. This is helping drive demand in auto stores and departments, including tire-related products.

With summer now only officially starting, Mr. Shipley said he will be interested to see if these trends continue.

"Right now, the story is all about the fact that people are at home and they are looking for things to do. These categories are growing," he said.

"To me, it's fascinating to watch these trends. As an industry, I think for years we've been watching DIY behavior slowly erode. Now, all of a sudden, we're seeing this crazy growth in DIY. I think, for me, I'm most curious to watch as we go forward how much of this sticks."

"Who would have ever thought that we would need a pandemic to give a steroid shot to this industry. But it's actually happening," Mr. Shipley said.

Sales grew 44% for April and May versus the same period a year ago in the overall DIY vehicle maintenance segment, NPD reported.