Repair Concerns: Auto parts sales doubled in Spring 2025
Sales of car spare parts doubled in April-May 2025 compared to the same period last year, analysts told Izvestia. Shock absorbers, headlights, brake pads and other products are popular. In addition, the number of complex repairs in the services has increased. Experts explain this by the fact that the car fleet in Russia is gradually becoming obsolete. Other reasons for the trend can be found in the Izvestia article.
How has the demand for spare parts increased
Since the beginning of 2025, the auto parts market has shown rapid growth, analysts and car service companies told Izvestia. For example, from April to May 2025, sales of spare parts on marketplaces doubled compared to the same period last year, JVO Studio experts reported (they conduct a nationwide sales analysis on such platforms).
"The increase in sales volumes is accompanied by a significant increase in sellers' revenue, which indicates the continued strengthening of online channels in the automotive segment," they said.
On the Wildberries platform, auto parts sales almost doubled in April-May. The marketplace's press service reported that the overall turnover of such products increased by 65%. Sales of rims and tires increased the most — by 200%, batteries by 90% and auto parts by 80%.
— Car shock absorbers, fog lights, headlights, brake pads, repair kits, taillights, mirrors, brake discs and oil filters are the most popular. The average growth rate has exceeded 70%," they added.
Ozon also showed strong positive dynamics: the volume of auto parts sales increased 1.6 times over the same period.
According to the results of the first five months of 2025, an average of 5.4% more spare parts per unique customer than in the same period last year, Tatiana Ovchinnikova, director of the international franchise network of car service Fit Service, confirmed.
"Customers began to buy more spare parts and spend more money on them than last year," she added.
According to the analytical center "Check Index" of the company "Platform OFD", from January to May, sales of automotive products in stores decreased by 3%. The average purchase receipt was 5,9 thousand rubles. But the volume of online purchases, on the contrary, increased by 19% — on average, Russians spend 6.1 thousand rubles.
What spare parts do Russians buy?
The increase in demand was accompanied by an active expansion of the product range, which also had a direct impact on the sellers' income. According to analysts, in the spring months of 2025, the average revenue of auto parts sellers at Wildberries increased 2.2 times.
The leader in revenue was electrical equipment, which accounted for 38% of all sales. The second place was taken by engines with a share of 10%, the third by the chassis (9.5%). The top 5 also includes brake systems (7%) and interior parts (4.8%).
At Ozon, revenue growth for the same period was 86.6% compared to April-May 2024. The leading position was taken by the subcategory "Maintenance parts", which provided 48% of all revenue in April-May 2025. Autolight is in second place (36%), followed by engines (13%). Suspension and braking systems complete the top five, accounting for 10.5% of revenue each.
Spare parts, lubricants, auto chemicals, accessories and additional equipment remain among the most in-demand automotive products, the OFD Platform company added to the "Check Index".
"The increase in the cost of automotive products continues to be affected by difficulties in logistics and transaction costs, dependence on imports, and an imbalance of supply and demand. Due to a slowdown in the consumption of non-food products and a decrease in sales of new cars, demand for automotive products also decreased. Nevertheless, there is a steady need for car owners to maintain and repair vehicles, which is why the decrease in unit sales is not so significant," the analysts said.
Most often, car owners buy engine oils, freon and other technical fluids (lubricants for brake mechanisms, brake fluid, antifreeze). Next in the ranking are various filters, lamps, batteries, spark plugs, said Tatiana Ovchinnikova.
— Drivers often buy those parts and fluids that require regular replacement. This is a group of spare parts and consumables," she explained. — The suspension elements of the car are also included in the list of frequent purchases. The reason for this is the peculiarities of car operation in Russian conditions — roads, climate, distances.
In addition, according to her, customers are increasingly turning to car service stations for more complex repairs, said Tatiana Ovchinnikova.
— The operated fleet of cars in the country continues to age, the average age of cars on Russian roads is growing, — the expert noted. — We note an increase in the number of large car repair receipts. Car arrivals with an average check of more than 20 thousand rubles showed the greatest dynamics.
This group of car owners has increased by 12% in five years. In addition, the number of visits by new cars has decreased, while the number of older ones has increased significantly.
"This year, we are already servicing 69% of cars over the age of ten,— added Tatiana Ovchinnikova. — The most significant growth is recorded in locksmithing, steering repair, fuel system and assembly repair services. That is, complex, labor-intensive jobs are becoming more in demand.
There is a trend when a car owner comes to the service with pre-purchased consumables, said Bulat Kilov, the founder of KRYTEX. At least one in three Russians tries to save so much. The average check for car maintenance is about 8.5 thousand rubles, which has grown by 17% over the year. It includes spare parts, auto chemicals, lubricants, accessories and additional equipment.
Why has the demand for automotive products jumped
The sharp increase in auto parts sales is explained by structural changes in the car market, says Anna Parsalova, head of JVO Studio. Due to the high dependence on supplies from China and the massive transition of Russians to Chinese cars, it became logical to increase the demand for compatible spare parts.
"At the same time, the purchase of original parts through the CIS countries often turns out to be more expensive than buying Chinese analogues directly," she noted.
The main reason for this trend is that cars in Russia are getting older, said Ilya Shilov, Director of Development at Forsage Lubricants. The average age of a car is about 15 years old, so it requires more attention, especially when it comes to complex breakdowns.
— In addition, new cars have become more expensive, and the choice has become less — especially after the departure of a number of foreign brands, — he believes. — Many drivers simply do not want or cannot change their car now, so they prefer to repair their own. Parallel import also plays an important role: it has become easier to find the right part, even if not the original one. There are more Chinese spare parts and replacements that are cheaper.
The older the car, the more it requires the owner's attention and investments in maintenance, replacement of parts, purchase of consumables, added Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network. The increase in the average life of a car was also influenced by the introduction of a recycling fee. Imported cars have become more expensive, and the schemes for purchasing cars for personal purposes abroad and distilling in the Russian Federation are still complex and few in number.
In addition, many Russians have now begun to refuse service in official services, which in fact are no longer such, and go to local service stations, Bulat Kilov added.
— At the same time, many undertake the purchase of missing spare parts: It's cheaper this way, and often the service itself doesn't have what it needs for repairs," he said. — Thirdly, Russians still have a savings model of behavior, that is, it is cheaper to buy yourself than through a salon. The situation will not change dramatically in the near future and the trend will continue.
The demand for auto parts will continue to grow in 2025, which will increase the prices of the parts themselves, and the price increase will be dramatic, for example, for original parts for foreign cars, Alexey Ivanov added. By the end of last year, spare parts rose in price by an average of 20-30%.
The spare parts market is changing: it is becoming more accessible, responds faster to customer requests, and is no longer so dependent on major automakers, Ilya Shilov noted.
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