#### PARTS JOBBER

The local parts jobber, who is usually listed in the yellow pages or whose name can be obtained from the local gas station, supplies most of the parts that are purchased by service stations and repair shops. He also does a sizeable business in over-the-counter parts sales for the do-it-yourselfer, and this may constitute as much as 30% to 50% of his business.

The jobber usually has at least two prices — one for the local mechanic or service station and an over-the-counter retail price. The reason for this is that local mechanic, like the service station, does not pay the retail price for a given part. They pay less than retail (a mechanic's discount may range from 15–40% depending on the item) and mark up the price of the part to their customer, making a profit on the resale. Many jobbers will offer you a 10%–15% discount off the retail prices on over-the-counter sales, and most jobbers run periodic sales on both private brand and brand name do-it-yourself items.

The prices charged by jobbers are usually lower than the new vehicle dealers and service stations but slightly higher than discount or mass merchandisers. The reason is that the jobber is used to dealing with professional mechanics and usually sells name brand or OEM parts. His volume is such that he sells more than a service station, but less than a discount merchandiser does, and thus his prices fall somewhere between the two. The people who work the counters in the jobber stores and discount stores know about vehicles — often more than the salesperson in the auto section of a department store. Unless they are extremely busy or very rushed, they can usually offer valuable advice on quality parts or tools needed to do the job right.