Surge in four-wheel-drive and ute sales sparks bullbar shortage

Outlets representing brands such as ARB and TJM – as well as dedicated stores such as Ironman 4x4 – are reporting severe stock shortages on bullbars and other accessories for popular models including the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

In a filing to the Australian Stock Exchange, the nation’s longest-standing and only publicly-listed bullbar and off-road accessory company, ARB, reported a 21.6 per cent increase in revenue in the last half of 2020 (which is the first half of the 2020/21 financial year).

ARB – which sells bullbars and other accessories under its own branding and also supplies genuine accessories to Toyota, Ford, Isuzu and Mazda – reported a turnover of $284 million and an estimated profit of between $70 million and $72 million for the six-month period.

The filing also revealed ARB received $9.8 million in “non-recurring government benefits”, which is believed to be the Federal Government’s JobKeeper subsidy.

ARB was cautiously optimistic about demand for bullbars and other off-road accessories in the first half of 2021.

“(ARB) maintains a positive short-term outlook based on a strong customer order book and another record sales month in December 2020,” the ARB filing to the Australian Stock Exchange said. 

“However, (ARB’s) first half performance should not be used as an indicator for the second half of the financial year, for which no guidance can be provided, as it remains far too uncertain to predict in the current economic climate.”

The increase in demand for four-wheel-drive accessories comes as sales of the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol surged in 2020, and three utes – the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max – made it into the Top 10 sales spots in the last three months of last year.