Let’s face it, life is 50 percent luck, 50 percent hard work and sometimes it feels like it’s 100 percent out of our control. So many factors affect the consumer mindset but a recent report from The NPD Group gives our industry a reason to celebrate.

“An interesting phenomenon is happening on the roads today,” David Portalatin executive director for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Analyst writes. “At the same time consumers are driving more, they are also spending less at the pump. In spite of the 4 percent increase in gasoline usage, consumer spending at the pump is down $39 billion so far this year. This situation leads to some long overdue market opportunities for the automotive aftermarket.”

More miles on the road means more visits to your bays.

“Motor oil tells a good story, with the total category up 7 percent in dollars and 4 percent in quarts — a different story line than what we’ve grown used to in recent years,” Portalatin said. “Now as consumers find some relief in their wallets, dollar and unit sales across “bonus categories” are growing. These categories include air fresheners, appearance accessories and appearance chemicals.”

To read the whole story check out The NPD Group blog: http://bit.ly/1RwGbuY