aftermarket

[ af-ter-mahr-kit, ahf- ]

noun

1. the market for replacement parts, accessories, and equipment for the care or enhancement of the original product, especially an automobile, after its sale to the consumer:

   The company holds a large share in the automotive radio aftermarket.

2. any additional market created by a product after the primary market:

   Television is the perfect aftermarket for old movies.

3. Stock Exchange. secondary market.

Word History and Origins

Origin of aftermarket¹

First recorded in 1935–40; after + market

Example Sentences

However, aftermarket products can be more difficult to regulate and track due to a proliferation of manufacturers, retailers and installers.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s prohibitively high for a lot of households now,” said Todd Campau, aftermarket leader for S&P Global Mobility.

From Seattle Times

Aftermarket electronic immobilizer systems “should render a criminal’s theft tool useless,” and might even get you a discount on auto insurance, he said.

From Seattle Times

Interestingly, vehicle wrapping is no longer something you can only do with the aftermarket.

From Seattle Times

If you’ve got aftermarket parts on your car, consider taking them off and installing the original parts.

From Seattle Times

More About Aftermarket

What does aftermarket mean?

An aftermarket is a market for parts, accessories, or equipment used to maintain or improve an existing product, usually relating to machinery, especially automobiles.

The aftermarket is a market for goods that can be used to repair, improve, or change a product that was already made on a primary, or standard, market. For example, when you buy a replacement power cable for your laptop from a company other than the computer manufacturer, you’re buying it on the aftermarket. 

Aftermarket is often paired with parts, as in The aftermarket parts for my car are actually of a better quality than the original parts.

In the context of a stock exchange, aftermarket is used to mean a secondary market. The secondary market is the situation where investors buy and sell shares that are already owned. In contrast, the primary market is the situation where a company first sells its shares to investors. Before that, the company was owned privately. National markets like the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ are aftermarkets. 

Example: Because her new car didn’t come with good-quality speakers, Libby searched the aftermarket for better speakers.

Where does aftermarket come from?

The first records of the term aftermarket come from around the 1930s. It combines the terms after and market to describe the field of trade in which you can buy parts for a product that is sold in a separate market.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with aftermarket? 

• afternoon
• afterimage
• market analysis
• market forces

What are some words that often get used in discussing aftermarket?

• automobile
• modification
• parts
• replacement
• secondary
• shares

How is aftermarket used in real life?

Aftermarket is a common word used to describe markets for parts and accessories, especially those made by companies that didn’t make the original product.

What are the best mid range aftermarket car speakers? Also looking for a vendor who sells and installs genuine ones

— Kalasinga (@Kalasinga_) April 27, 2022

Aftermarket prices for sneakers are crashing everywhere and I absolutely love to see it.

— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) November 12, 2021

Does anybody make quality custom aftermarket weatherstripping for the cab door jam and doors for a 1948 Chevy truck?

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) October 5, 2018

 

Try using aftermarket!

True or False?

Aftermarket parts are sold by the manufacturer of the original product.