Autobarn is part of Australia’s largest franchise retailer of automotive aftermarket accessories, spare parts, car audio and security systems.
 
Established in 1985 in Victoria, the Autobarn network has grown from strength to strength and today includes almost 100 stores throughout Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and the Northern Territory.


With a Mission Statement like ‘Autobarn provides quality products with great customer service at competitive prices’ and over $100m in purchasing power, our prices are always competitive.


Autobarn sets itself apart from our opposition with levels of customer service and the mentality that ‘the person who owns the store runs the store’. This enables us to deliver the customer service you would deserve and expect as a valued Autobarn customer.

As Autobarn celebrates its 25th year in 2010, we were pleased to announce our involvement with the Canterbury Bulldogs. The three-year naming rights sponsorship of the Canterbury Bulldogs Membership Program sees the Autobarn logo featured on the bottom back of the Bulldog’s jersey. With the Bulldogs set to surge past the 10,000 members mark, Autobarn will be part of the journey and we look forward to growing alongside the Bulldogs.

Also in 2010 Autobarn has continued its love of Motorsport with ties in both the Bottle O entry from Rod Nash Racing and a small partnership with Bundaberg Red Racing.

In the coming years Autobarn stores will continuously grow in numbers and retail space. Planned new stores and the relocation of existing stores to larger premises will see Autobarn stay on top as part of Australia’s largest automotive franchise retailer of Automotive Aftermarket Accessories.

Twenty-five years ago nine major Victorian specialist auto parts and accessories retailers got together and formed a co-operative named Autobarn. Seven years later that co-operative became the foundation of the Autobarn franchise system, as we know it today.

The initial concept of the Autobarn group was to bring together existing and successful specialist retailers of automotive parts and accessories with the aim of developing a strong corporate image and greater market awareness. Their major focus was to successfully combat the growing penetration of large corporate players in the automotive retail market, from such diverse quarters as Department Stores, Discounters, Service Stations and Hardware Stores, and in the process, give the group greater buying power, stronger advertising clout, more marketing opportunities and a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences to benefit all members of the group.

The concept proved so successful that within five years the group grew to 28 stores all trading under one corporate identity and developing a unique and successful approach to the retailing of automotive parts and accessories.

In 1991, the members decided that Autobarn had something to offer, which had proven very successful and was different from its competitors. Thus the idea of franchising the Autobarn retail concept evolved.

To ensure the continued growth and success of the enterprise as a Franchise System, Autobarn adopted a number of key principles. These are:

• To establish clearly defined and exclusive territories.
 
• All shareholders that owned stores were franchised to Autobarn. This was to ensure all decisions adopted by the shareholders were fair, balanced and in the best interests of Franchisees and Franchisor alike. To this day, 80% of shareholders continue to own franchised Autobarn outlets.
 
• Create a Franchisee Advisory Council known as the National Council whose function is to:
  • Review, approve and provide input for the Advertising programs and Marketing initiatives proposed by the Marketing Department.
  • Regularly review and evaluate products, existing and new, and submit for ranging in all stores.
  • Monitor and recommend changes to pricing policies.
  • Discuss issues of interest and/or concern to franchisees with the franchisor.
  • Provide Franchisee recommendations and ideas to promote the group into the future, on a macro scale.

Autobarn is very much a Franchisee orientated business. This is very strongly reflected in the way the business is directed and conducted.

The one constant in the way Autobarn is managed is the total focus on the main objectives of developing and growing a strong, vibrant and profitable specialist retail organization. These objectives centre on the needs of Autobarn customers and are dedicated to meeting and exceeding its responsibilities to its Franchisees and the expectations of its shareholders.

It has been Autobarn's stated aim to prove that franchising is the best system for small business. Autobarn's approach to franchising and achieving pre-eminence in this sector is based on the knowledge that its own success is closely linked to the success of its Franchisees, its management structure and the underlying values supported by the Autobarn culture.