Aftermarket should make the most of the cabin filter boom

The aftermarket needs to be in a position to take advantage of the expected growth of the cabin air filter market, says Sogefi.

The aftermarket giant says it is the only sector in the European filtration market that has continued to grow and has seen increases in excess of 10 percent, which could provide considerable profit for the independent sector.

Sogefi says the independent aftermarket can benefit, because cabin filters are being fitted as standard on new vehicles, and more than 85 percent of the European car parc has one installed.

Andrea Taschini, General Manager of Sogefi’s Aftermarket Business Unit, said: “The public’s growing awareness of the dangers of environmental pollution and the health benefits of frequent filter changes underpin growth in demand for replacement cabin air filters.”

The big growth estimations are based on the French independent aftermarket’s performance, which GiPA shows it accounted for 42 percent of cabin filter sales in 2011 and has been steadily increasing since, with Sogefi expecting sales to exceed 50 percent by 2016.