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

All eight cases that the agency has learned about so far have involved aftermarket air bags installed in Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata sedans, but there is no information indicating the rupture issue is specific to those models, the filing said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Any DTN inflators in vehicles in the United States likely would have been illegally imported aftermarket equipment, and then installed in a vehicle usually after the vehicle’s air bag deployed in a prior crash,” the agency said.

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Aerospace sales registered 12% organic growth driven by strength in the commercial aftermarket and defense and space.

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Safety and industrial sales increased 4.1%, as strong demand in electrical markets, adhesives and abrasives offset continued challenges in the vehicle aftermarket business.

Read more on MarketWatch

James’ vision was to consolidate the aftermarket auto parts business into First Brands, starting in 2013 and 2014, when he acquired Carter Fuel Pumps and Trico.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

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.