Discount truck tire

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Mass merchants

that sell tires, such as Wal-Mart, Penske (at

Kmart), Sears and Pep Boys, will have another

show to check out at the Automotive

Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas.

For the first time, the National Tire Dealers

and Retreaders Association is throwing in its

lot with the other aftermarket associations

putting on the four-day, twin aftermarket shows

running from Nov. 4 to 7. Those are: the APAA,

ASIA, MEMA and SEMA and AI associations.

Also new at the ASIA/MEMA/APAA portion

of the show to be held in the Sands Convention

Center is a new section on heavy truck parts

and accessories. Some heavy truck accessories

are also applicable to the light truck market

that is booming. The tool and equipment section

also has been expanded.

The NTDRA show will be held in a pavilion

outside the Las Vegas Convention Center as

part of the SEMA/AI portion.

At the Sands, the APAA show is sold out,

with a total of 1.1 million gross sq. ft. rented.

By eating into every nook and cranny, show

management has squeezed in about 200 more

exhibitors for a total of 1,608--and still has a

waiting list.

In the First Time Exhibitor showcase, 140

new exhibitors will be displaying a key product,

up from 103 in 1996.

To ease the squeeze, the Sands is adding

130,000 more sq. ft. to be ready for 1998.

Pre-registration was running about 7%

ahead of 1996, said show manager Bill

Glasgow. He expects attendance to rise to at

least 67,000 from 62,000 last year.

For the first time, a buyers' show directory will

be available on a computer disc, Glasgow said.

Because the show has gotten so big, the six

merchandisers from Auto Parts Club, San

Diego, will attend all four days of the show

instead of the usual three, president Steve

Kirby said.

"We're reviewing every category and will be

trying to locate the hot new items," he said.

Auto Parts Club splits up the buying team,

and each member gets an assignment list,

Kirby said.

Pep Boys, Philadelphia, uses the show for a

number of purposes, including trying to fill

positions by making contact with others who

are in town, said Joe Risch, assistant vp of

merchandising.

Every other year, Pep Boys also holds a vendors

show at the APAA event. But since it won't

hold a vendors show this year, the chain will send

a smaller delegation than in 1996, Risch said.

"I use the show as an opportunity

to be exposed to vendors I don't normally see," Risch

said. "We know in advance

what our existing vendors will

be showing, and we hope to

establish new relationships and

find new products." Retailers

can pick up on trends by seeing

everybody in the same

proximity, he added.

Chief Auto also will be

seeking new vendor

opportunities, said Bill Pantuso,

senior vp marketing and

merchandising.

"We have everything set with

our existing vendors," Pantuso

said. "We'll spend a day and a

half walking the floor to find new

vendor opportunities." Last

year, Chief found a new car

phone accessory program and

the Metra antenna program.

G.I. Joe's, a 15-store hard

lines chain based in Wilsonville,

Ore., has a new

Brown, who will use the show as

a learning experience, said Chad

Farthing, buyer for auto

accessories. The APAA Show

will be Brown's chance to study

what's going on in automotives.

G.I. Joe's is reviewing its

spring program for waxes and

washes, so it will take a look at

Prestone's venture into the wax

business.

The APAA show will be well

attended, predicted Paul Dudley,

marketing director for CSK,

Phoenix. His company will be

looking for new marketing ideas,

as well as new products.