May 2021

that can be managed easily and safely.” Andy added: “Of all online parts sales in the UK, half are ultimately installed by garages anyway. Our ambition with Fit it For Me is to simplify the process and maximise the benefits for garages and their customers, by ensuring quality repairs, first time, every time.” Fast forward Fast forward to today, and we wondered how garages that have signed up are faring. We spoke to All Fords a family-run business, now in its 27th year of operation in the corner of South East London where it meets Kent. “We started out in Charlton” said owner Junior Nandra, “but we made the decision to move to bigger F itting customer-supplied parts is always a controversial topic. Some businesses will steadfastly refuse to do it, citing public liability, general safety concerns and the prosaic reality of parts provenance. At the same time, others will tell you they have always done it and will continue to do so. In world where price comparison is no longer the preserve of the skinflint, what do you do? One option would be to try and channel such consumer urges, which is what LKQ Euro Car Parts has been trying to do with its Fit It For Me programme, launched last year. Through Fit it For Me motorists order parts via LKQ Euro Car Parts, and 50 AFTERMARKET MAY 2021 GARAGE VISIT www.aftermarketonline.net DON’T FIGHT IT, FIT IT? Above: Junior and Bill Nandra Find out how one garage is using LKQ Euro Car Parts’ Fit It For Me programme to capture business from the self-supplying parts crowd then as part of the process identify a garage that will undertake installation for them at an agreed upfront labour cost. The parts are then shipped direct to the workshop. Commenting on the launch of the programme last year, LKQ Euro Car Parts CEO Andy Hamilton said: “Fit it For Me will open new revenue streams for independent garages and introduce them to new customers, at a time when many have been operating at reduced capacity due to lockdown restrictions. We expect to see a surge in demand for service and maintenance work when drivers get back on the road, as many vehicles will have developed faults while out of use. This new service will help direct that demand into the independent aftermarket, in a way