Wix/Napa oil filter pricing

[bbhero]

It is not a misnomer. Plenty of publically traded companies you can see the data for yourself. In any event I won’t be going down this rabbit hole on an oil filter forum.



I don’t recall this, but I’m speaking of record profit margins. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...fits-soar-taking-margins-to-widest-since-1950

On the flipside labor is strong and finally has some leverage.. that is until the continuous rate hikes send unemployment up. But hey! Oil filters. We are in an oil filter forum.

You are wondering why " this " is happening???

You asked a question .....

You don't like at minimum... A major part of the real answer.
It is not one hundred percent of the reason in increases in prices. But it is a big big part of it.

And you didn't recall ExxonMobil making supposed record profit... Yeah, well that happened and certain people put a additional " tax" on ExxonMobil.
Which to be fair was passed.

 

[bbhero]

Wix 57356 oil filters were $5.99 back in 2016.

Then jumped to $6.99 in 2017. Prices stayed pretty steady at that price for 2 years. Then it went to $7.99 in 2019. Then another 1 dollar increase in 2020 to $8.99. Then in late 2020 - 2021 prices went to 9.99 and in latter part of 2021 to 10.99.

Somethings happened after 2020 in particular.

Supposed " record profits" ... I don't have a problem with.

Funny how no ever, ever thinks to ask about Bill Gates... How much record profit did he have to make to be worth 66 billion dollars ???

Becoming much, much, much, much more wealthy than anyone else during that time.

I am not against people becoming that wealthy.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Made up mathematics by you.....

You don't know everything involved in this circumstance. The real in depth costs of everything here. You don't know that. Nor should you be expected to know it either. To be fair.


Far, far, far far too many dollars chasing far far far far too few goods.

I am not upset that a basic Proformer Napa filter costs 6.49.

I am not thrilled about Napa Gold 57356 was costing 10.99.... Now I'd bet it's 11.49....

This massive problem is not going away. Again... I hope I'm wrong here about this circumstance.

True I don't know for sure and I am not trying to argue, but my numbers weren't made up, they are from the St. Louis fed "FRED" database.

I have a pretty good idea of what materials are in short supply at a manufacturing level since that is in the industry I work.

Steel shot up during the pandemic but is back to where it was in 2019 - https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/steel

Paper is harder to figure out because there paper is very specialized - but pulp in general is only up 15%. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU0911

So True, I don't know what other issues there having - maybe labor, or silicone rubber. But it seems sort of funny that two players basically buy all the other aftermarket players out, then prices jump by a huge amount.

Also, too much money and too few goods - maybe so for a lot of thing - but people don't buy more oil filters because govco mailed out checks. For much of the last couple years people are driving less - lockdowns and work from home at first, high gas prices more recently.

IMHO, and specific to oil filters, not other goods.

 

[ZeeOSix]

What's going to happen with oil and filter prices as more and more EVs take the place of ICE vehicles over the next 10-15 years? I could see possibly more company buy outs and/or companies folding as demand goes down.

 

[bbhero]

True I don't know for sure and I am not trying to argue, but my numbers weren't made up, they are from the St. Louis fed "FRED" database.

I have a pretty good idea of what materials are in short supply at a manufacturing level since that is in the industry I work.

Steel shot up during the pandemic but is back to where it was in 2019 - https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/steel

Paper is harder to figure out because there paper is very specialized - but pulp in general is only up 15%. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU0911

So True, I don't know what other issues there having - maybe labor, or silicone rubber. But it seems sort of funny that two players basically buy all the other aftermarket players out, then prices jump by a huge amount.

Also, too much money and too few goods - maybe so for a lot of thing - but people don't buy more oil filters because govco mailed out checks. For much of the last couple years people are driving less - lockdowns and work from home at first, high gas prices more recently.

IMHO, and specific to oil filters, not other goods.

You are good man...

We just disagree a bit here on aspects of this.

I mean this sincerely.... I really hope I am wrong here. Sometimes in this world it is actually good being wrong about things.

I remember... Like it was yesterday... Walking around my dad's old house and then I heard him cough.... It sent a shiver down my spine. I never ever heard him like that. I was thinking it was quite possible he had lung cancer. He tried to say it was nothing... Just bronchitis.

He died 9 months later. I knew I was right when I heard that resonate cough something was terribly wrong with him.

I have on other occasions like economic circumstances, other circumstances has well have had the same bad feeling about those circumstances. And I have been right about them a high percentage of the time.

I really, really, really hope I am wrong here about this one.

The jury is still out has far as I am concerned right now. Time will tell.

 

[bbhero]

Prepare to learn how to live like they did in the book "Grapes of Wrath". I still remember the part in the book where they went to a junk yard for a used con-rod bearing that went out during their journey. Probably ran too thin motor oil, lol.

I was a typical high school guy... I didn't read hardly any of that. I just didn't like reading books.

Now I read articles in magazines like Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. I read the local Daily Press paper daily. I was well up to date on all kinds of happenings unlike many of my classmates.

It may well be not very good at all in the very near future.

European history in the 1920s into the early 1930s.

 

[bbhero]

What's going to happen with oil and filter prices as more and more EVs take the place of ICE vehicles over the next 10-15 years? I could see possibly more company buy outs and/or companies folding as demand goes down.

All of this is being done on purpose...

For reasons that we cannot talk about on here.

 

[SteveG4]

I have on other occasions like economic circumstances, other circumstances has well have had the same bad feeling about those circumstances. And I have been right about them a high percentage of the time.

I really, really, really hope I am wrong here about this one.

The jury is still out has far as I am concerned right now. Time will tell.

@bbhero -- you're intuition is correct and on-the-money and it aligns with my own as a highly intuitive INTJ personality. America is in for some tough times; the pillaging of the silent majority or the great middle-class is far from over. It will continue unabated. Transportation-related goods (vehicles and their parts, gas and fuel, and services provided by them and to them) are being affected by across-the-board cost increases. There's no end in sight at the moment.

You'll see me buying quality, lower-cost Kirkland and Quaker State synth oils, Dexron VI, AutoTrak II, and 75W-90 syth diff fluids in the coming days; I cannot see prices coming down in the next two to five years. We're in the mist of a literal $#i)storm, and I don't a light at the end of the tunnel. Hunker down... I started a year ago and need to continue.

Right now, my 2 chest freezers are full; I hope they stay that way.

 

[Greasymechtech]

What is the valuation of anything? branding? perceived difference or improvement? Mine is better than yours!
Why pay so much for designer fancy sneakers, pants, shoes... either? My walmart $20 sneakers are no worse than those $500 Nike's the neighbors' kids are wearing.

$18 for a once a year OCI on my Avalon and Highlander isn't going to cause financial distress. Don't care to buy a dozen in bulk from Rockauto. Don't care for the newer non-supported blended media Ultras. Have caught the BOGO Platinum from Napa a few times over the years. Haven't seen it in a while and down to last Platinum cartridge.

But, I get to say that my engine has a full synthetic media oil filter and that I am will to pay triple for it. So, the XP/Platinum/Boss/Ams/RP... will always be purchased.

Cellulose media is cheap. Synthetic media isn't.

Only sad thing is that the cartridge filter doesn't have a BPV, and ADBV, or steel can.... so, why are paying more for the cartridge for considerably less filter? I guess the cartridge draining nipple and couple o-rings costs $10 to toss in the box.

 

[Soobs]

What is the valuation of anything? branding? perceived difference or improvement? Mine is better than yours!
Why pay so much for designer fancy sneakers, pants, shoes... either? My walmart $20 sneakers are no worse than those $500 Nike's the neighbors' kids are wearing.

$18 for a once a year OCI on my Avalon and Highlander isn't going to cause financial distress. Don't care to buy a dozen in bulk from Rockauto. Don't care for the newer non-supported blended media Ultras. Have caught the BOGO Platinum from Napa a few times over the years. Haven't seen it in a while and down to last Platinum cartridge.

But, I get to say that my engine has a full synthetic media oil filter and that I am will to pay triple for it. So, the XP/Platinum/Boss/Ams/RP... will always be purchased.

Cellulose media is cheap. Synthetic media isn't.

Only sad thing is that the cartridge filter doesn't have a BPV, and ADBV, or steel can.... so, why are paying more for the cartridge for considerably less filter? I guess the cartridge draining nipple and couple o-rings costs $10 to toss in the box.

It’s not a concern with the affordability of it because as you said it’s only bought once in a while. I was just more curious if there’s a technical reason why Wix is pricing so much higher. When I say technical I’m referring to filter specs and quality of product. Yes, synthetic media cost more, but you can find synthetic media on other brands at significantly lower price points. So it comes down to “why pick this filter?” Perhaps they make sense in oil change deals.

We can’t pretend that inflation only caused one major brand to spike pricing from $6 to $20/filter over a few short time. Nothing compelling in the answers here yet to suggest it’s been anything other than consolidation in the marketspace by a major holding company which reduced competition which gave them more price control.

On a side note to others..
I’ve no interest engaging in the proverbial targeted media boogeyman news of hard times and depression ahead. That messaging is continuous over the years. Eventually you get a downturn and someone can say “ah ha! I was right!” None of us can predict world economics and severity of cycles. Back to filters, gang.

In any event, enjoy your week.

 

[gulf_racer04]

if you buy a few WIX filters at a time, you can get better prices as http://www.fleetfilter.com/ and filter1.com. If you search this forum, you can find many have had positive experiences. I am in the process of buying about 10 filters from filter1, but it seems my credit card company keeping flagging and blocking the purchase--even after I confirmed it was a legitimate purchase.

 

[PimTac]

if you buy a few WIX filters at a time, you can get better prices as http://www.fleetfilter.com/ and filter1.com. If you search this forum, you can find many have had positive experiences. I am in the process of buying about 10 filters from filter1, but it seems my credit card company keeping flagging and blocking the purchase--even after I confirmed it was a legitimate purchase.

Maybe there is a reason they are blocking it? CC companies do that based on prior experience

 

[Silver]

$2 product at 40% margin sells at $3.33. Profit $1.33.
$4 product at 40% margin sells at $6.67. Profit $2.67.

Cost doubles, profit doubles. This is how most businesses operate on an earth that is not flat.

 

[SteveG4]

On a side note to others..
I’ve no interest engaging in the proverbial targeted media boogeyman news of hard times and depression ahead. That messaging is continuous over the years. Eventually you get a downturn and someone can say “ah ha! I was right!” None of us can predict world economics and severity of cycles. Back to filters, gang.

I like optimists. They give me reason to trust my gut.

 

[SC Maintenance]

My entire foray onto this website ( which i previously just browsed) was around Christmas I purchased a wix air filter - same one I have likely bought 20 times - I have 2 old rigs that use them. The old ones had a metal mesh backing and was made in USA. The new one had no backing and was made in Spain. It has fewer pleats as well. It cost way more than I ever paid.

I emailed wix customer service to aske if maybe I got a counterfeit. They did not reply.

Then from reading here I learned Mann had purchased Wix and quality was going down hill. Not only are they trying to lower quality, but raise prices at the same time. If they had just kept making the same good stuff I likely would have just kept paying.

So now I feel obligated to patronize their competition.

 

[PimTac]

My entire foray onto this website ( which i previously just browsed) was around Christmas I purchased a wix air filter - same one I have likely bought 20 times - I have 2 old rigs that use them. The old ones had a metal mesh backing and was made in USA. The new one had no backing and was made in Spain. It has fewer pleats as well. It cost way more than I ever paid.

I emailed wix customer service to aske if maybe I got a counterfeit. They did not reply.

Then from reading here I learned Mann had purchased Wix and quality was going down hill. Not only are they trying to lower quality, but raise prices at the same time. If they had just kept making the same good stuff I likely would have just kept paying.

So now I feel obligated to patronize their competition.

And that’s the conundrum. Fram and Champ Labs were bought out by Trico First Brands and there have been changes in their manufacturing as well.

 

[bbhero]

$2 product at 40% margin sells at $3.33. Profit $1.33.
$4 product at 40% margin sells at $6.67. Profit $2.67.

Cost doubles, profit doubles. This is how most businesses operate on an earth that is not flat.

The additives and base oils cost have gone up quite a lot in the last 3 years...

A whole lot. It's why I'm not surprised about those prices going up a lot in this time frame.

Cost of moving goods and oils etc has increased dramatically.... Add that in has well.

Plus add in the great possiblity that companies are expecting continued devaluation of the currency... They are adding that in to offset future loss as well.

It is a mess. I think back to the 2004-2007 oil price run up... It was very interesting to learn post review what was actually going on there that led to that debacle.

Just like the 2002-2008 housing circumstance... Upon post review it was a number of aspects that worked together in a very bad synergistic way to bring about that massive debacle.

 

[Greasymechtech]

After MH bought Wix/Purolator, they produced a synth media for an auto maker. MH bragged how great the new synth media is compared to cellulose filters. MH learned from WixXP/PurolatorPSL/PBL. Shhh, don't want to offend those that think euro filters were the best.

The photos below are what I am paying extra for, and because of the supply chain issues and employee shortage issues, paying too much. If you want something, now you'll have to pay more for it. Can't even buy a new Honda or Toyota without a 10-20% mark up now either.

Picture #1, moisture.... normal combustion byproducts... Wood pulp absorbs water, expands, and becomes a brick wall. And you wonder why some cellulose filters tear for some and never for others??? Now, image the short tripper or those with winters!

Picture #2, really doesn't take too many grams of crud to drastically clog cellulose media and reduce it to bypassing often.

PIcture #3, synth media just flows better.

Too many will argue mircrons and other nonsuch. What good is a 20 micron cellulose filter in bypass most of the time when compared to a 25-35 micron synth media filter almost never in bypass? Choose your 'usable' filtration wisely and pay for it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

And that’s the conundrum. Fram and Champ Labs were bought out by Trico First Brands and there have been changes in their manufacturing as well.

Yep, not impressed with first brands either.

I am off in the weeds now. Warren is making one of the microguards - going to try that. next. I have enough filters for a year or more, so this is just a hobby at this point.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Yep, not impressed with first brands either.

I am off in the weeds now. Warren is making one of the microguards - going to try that. next. I have enough filters for a year or more, so this is just a hobby at this point.

The Extended Life Microgard (not Microguard) is made in Vietnam. Don't think there is any connection to Warren. I've looked at these in person at O'Reilly Auto Parts and they seem well made.