Jobber News Executive Outlook 2025:  Jason Yurchak

Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2025 issue.

Jason Yurchak, Senior Vice President  |  Worldpac Canada

As an industry, the automotive aftermarket has faced challenges and adversities for as long as it has existed, yet we continue to grow.

To recap 2024, overall, the economy and high interest rates had a slowing effect on our industry. While many ASPs didn’t see year-over-year declines in car counts, consumers have been reluctant to spend money on non-essential repairs — they’ll do brakes and change the oil, but can live with bouncy shocks for another couple of months.  The big question facing our industry, and the economy, is the effect of tariffs indicated by the incoming U.S. president. Tied into this is the prorogued Canadian Parliament and probable election announcement soon after it resumes.

If and when these tariffs are imposed, and any retaliatory tariffs from the Canadian government, my assumption is that they would be based on the country of origin. Fortunately for jobbers and distributors, many of the parts we sell today are no longer manufactured in North America and should be exempt from these tariffs. Unfortunately, many aftermarket parts suppliers manufacture on both sides of the border and could see a drastic decline in cross-border sales as the suggested tariff could make their products non-competitive versus offshore brands. This will affect Tier 1 manufacturers on a much bigger scale, increasing the cost to consumers of new vehicles.

As an industry, the automotive aftermarket has faced challenges and adversities for as long as it has existed, yet we continue to grow. To stay successful, we just need to follow the three simple rules: Have the products your customers want, deliver to them in a reasonable time and sell them at a competitive price. We all know the K.I.S.S. principle — we just need to make sure we do it daily.