The Evolution of Vw - Case

The purpose of the presepaper is to survey recent trends in the European automotive spare p a rts market. The distribution activity that the paper describes involves manufacturers, suppliers and dealers, but does not include repair service centres. Nor does it focus on the impact of Euro pean regulations. The following countries are highlighted: France, Germany, Spain and Benelux.

The flows we analyse are the physical (stock management and movements) and inform a t i o n a l ( o rder processing and re p l e n i s hment) flows that are associated with the spare parts distribution activities that link manufacturers and dealers in the aforementioned countries. We also investigate m a n u f a c t u rers’ and dealers’ strategies for positioning themselves on the market. We study current logistics organisations with a view towards appreciating how these strategies and organisations have evolved, and also in order to analyse the present and future role that is being played by the Block Exemption Regulation in auto-motive spare parts distribution systems.

Our first step was to examine the characteristics of the market: actors’ positions, specific products,

logistical constraints and organisational re s o u rces (e.g. networks, warehouses). By meeting with the m a r k e t ’s main protagonists, we could validate earlier research and identify flows clearly.

We then established how European constraints, especially Block Exemption Regulation 1475/95, could influence future developments.

THE EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE SPARE PART MARKET

ACTORS

We interviewed car manufacturers, spare parts suppliers, non-independent dealerships and national independent repair chains associations in an eff o rt to ascertain how the non-independent after sales spare parts market functions. The present report does not delve