Supercheap Auto

Supercheap Auto is an automotive parts and accessories retail brand operating in Australia and New Zealand. The business was established by Reg and Hazel Rowe in 1972, initially as a mail-order operation selling imported battery chargers and other automotive accessories from the couple's home. In 1974, the business expanded into physical retail with its first store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The brand developed around a value-oriented proposition: making commonly needed vehicle maintenance, repair, touring, and accessory products available through a broad store network and, later, online retail. Its range includes automotive batteries, oils and lubricants, vehicle lighting, towing equipment, tools, workshop supplies, cleaning products, electrical accessories, and other parts and consumables used by motorists and home mechanics. The assortment serves both do-it-yourself customers and people seeking routine maintenance or basic vehicle-related accessories. Supercheap Auto operates as part of Super Retail Group, an Australian retail group whose other brands include automotive, outdoor, and sporting businesses. Supercheap Auto is not separately listed as an independent public company; the supplied ticker, SUL.AX, refers to Super Retail Group. The brand has stores in Australia and New Zealand, supported by online shopping and multiple physical-store formats. Its standard stores are generally designed around a substantial automotive retail footprint, with typical locations described as approximately 700 square metres, although smaller stores of about 400 square metres also operate. The company has also introduced larger Supercheap Auto Superstore formats of approximately 1,000 square metres. Examples identified in reference material include locations at Oxenford, Alice Springs, Cannon Hill, and Caboolture. Network expansion included the opening of the 250th store in Timaru, New Zealand, and the 300th store in Holden Hill, South Australia. The cited reference describes a network of 341 stores across Australia and New Zealand. Motorsport has been a major part of the brand's public identity. Supercheap Auto sponsored Supercars Championship teams under the Supercheap Auto Racing name from 1997 onward, with partnerships involving Steven Ellery Racing, Paul Weel Racing, Paul Morris Motorsport, Walkinshaw Racing, and Tickford Racing at different times. From 2005 through 2020, the brand held naming rights for the Bathurst 1000. When Repco took over the principal title sponsorship of the Supercars championship and the Bathurst race in 2021, Supercheap Auto continued its motorsport presence through an associate sponsorship of Triple Eight Race Engineering and naming-rights support for entries in the Bathurst 1000 from 2021 through 2025. In 2021, it also became naming-rights sponsor of the TCR Australia Touring Car Series. The brand's current identity combines accessible automotive retail, a wide product assortment, physical convenience, e-commerce, and motorsport visibility. Its positioning is best understood as value-focused mainstream automotive retail rather than a specialist luxury or professional-industrial supplier.

Supercheap Auto began in 1972 when Reg and Hazel Rowe created a mail-order business from their home. The founders sold imported battery chargers and other automotive accessories, establishing a business model focused on practical products for vehicle owners and home mechanics. The company moved beyond mail order in 1974, opening its first physical store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The store-led model became central to the brand's development. Supercheap Auto expanded across Australia and New Zealand, combining a broad automotive assortment with locations intended to serve routine maintenance, repair, touring, and accessory needs. Its offer grew beyond battery chargers to include vehicle parts, batteries, lubricants, lighting, towing products, tools, cleaning supplies, electrical accessories, and other maintenance goods. The retail format was designed for mainstream motorists and do-it-yourself customers rather than only professional workshops. The brand later became part of Super Retail Group and developed within that group's portfolio of retail businesses. Supercheap Auto continued to operate under its own brand identity, with physical stores supplemented by online shopping. The network included standard stores commonly measuring around 700 square metres, smaller approximately 400-square-metre locations, and larger Supercheap Auto Superstores of roughly 1,000 square metres. The larger format was used at locations including Oxenford, Alice Springs, Cannon Hill, and Caboolture. Network milestones included the 250th store in Timaru, New Zealand, and the 300th store in Holden Hill, South Australia. The reference material describes the brand as having 341 stores across Australia and New Zealand, although the date of that count is not specified. The brand's geographic scope remains concentrated in those two markets. Motorsport sponsorship became an important component of Supercheap Auto's marketing history. The company sponsored Supercars Championship teams from 1997 under the Supercheap Auto Racing identity. Its listed team relationships included Steven Ellery Racing from 2000 to 2004, Paul Weel Racing from 2005 to 2007, Paul Morris Motorsport from 2008 to 2011, Walkinshaw Racing from 2012 to 2015, and Tickford Racing from 2016 to 2020. From 2005 to 2020, Supercheap Auto also held naming rights for the Bathurst 1000, associating the retail brand with one of Australia's best-known motor-racing events. In 2021, Repco took over the title sponsorship of the Supercars championship and Bathurst 1000. Supercheap Auto did not disappear from motorsport: it became an associate sponsor of Triple Eight Race Engineering and held naming-rights support for entries in the Bathurst 1000 from 2021 through 2025. It also became naming-rights sponsor of the TCR Australia Touring Car Series in 2021. Today, Supercheap Auto remains an active automotive retail brand within Super Retail Group. Its business combines store-based retail, online sales, a broad range of practical vehicle products, and continuing motorsport associations. The brand is publicly associated with Super Retail Group, whose Australian Securities Exchange ticker is SUL.AX, rather than being a separately listed company.

• 2021

  New motorsport sponsorship portfolio

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  Supercheap Auto became naming-rights sponsor of TCR Australia and continued in Supercars through an associate sponsorship of Triple Eight Race Engineering and support for Bathurst 1000 entries.

• 2020

  Bathurst 1000 naming-rights period ends

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  The brand's naming-rights sponsorship of the Bathurst 1000 ended after the 2020 event.

• 2005

  Bathurst 1000 naming-rights sponsorship begins

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  Supercheap Auto began a naming-rights sponsorship of the Bathurst 1000 that continued through 2020.

• 1997

  Supercars team sponsorship begins

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  The brand began sponsoring Supercars Championship teams under the Supercheap Auto Racing identity.

• 1974

  First physical store opens in Fortitude Valley

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  Supercheap Auto opened its first store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, moving beyond its original home-based mail-order model.

• 1972

  Mail-order business founded

  [1]Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org

  Reg and Hazel Rowe founded the business as a mail-order operation selling imported battery chargers and other automotive accessories.

Value-oriented, mainstream automotive retail offering a broad range of parts, accessories, tools, and vehicle-maintenance products through stores and online channels.

• Automotive retail

  Automotive parts and accessories

  The core range covers replacement parts and practical accessories used in everyday vehicle ownership. The assortment is intended for routine servicing, minor repairs, vehicle upgrades, touring, and general maintenance across a broad range of passenger and recreational vehicles.

• Automotive electrical · 1972

  Batteries and electrical products

  Battery chargers were among the products sold by the founders at the beginning of the business. The modern range includes automotive batteries and other electrical accessories for vehicle operation, maintenance, and convenience.

• Vehicle maintenance

  Oils, lubricants, and maintenance consumables

  Supercheap Auto sells oils, lubricants, and related maintenance supplies used in regular vehicle servicing. These products support routine owner maintenance and complement the brand's parts, tools, and workshop assortment.

• Tools

  Tools and workshop supplies

  The tools range is aimed at home mechanics and customers carrying out basic repairs or maintenance. It forms a significant part of the brand's do-it-yourself proposition alongside workshop equipment and repair consumables.

• Automotive accessories

  Towing, touring, and vehicle-care products

  The brand's accessory assortment includes towing products, vehicle lighting, cleaning and detailing supplies, and other equipment used for travel, vehicle care, and practical customization.

• Retail format

  Supercheap Auto Superstore

  The Superstore format is a larger Supercheap Auto location of approximately 1,000 square metres. Reference locations include Oxenford, Alice Springs, Cannon Hill, and Caboolture, providing additional space for the brand's automotive assortment.

• 2021TCR Australia naming-rights sponsorship

  Australia

  Supercheap Auto became naming-rights sponsor of the TCR Australia Touring Car Series.

  Outcome. The campaign extended the brand's motorsport marketing after its Bathurst 1000 naming-rights period ended.

  Source
• 2021Continuing Supercars partnerships

  Australia

  Following Repco's assumption of the principal Supercars and Bathurst sponsorships, Supercheap Auto remained involved as an associate sponsor of Triple Eight Race Engineering and through naming-rights support for Bathurst 1000 entries.

  Outcome. The brand retained a presence in Australian motorsport despite losing the event-level title sponsorship.

  Source
• 2005Bathurst 1000 naming-rights sponsorship

  Australia

  The brand held naming rights for the Bathurst 1000 from 2005 through 2020, making its name part of the event's official public identity during that period.

  Outcome. The naming-rights arrangement ended after 2020.

  Source
• 1997Supercheap Auto Racing

  Australia

  Supercheap Auto began sponsoring teams in the Supercars Championship under the Supercheap Auto Racing identity, linking the automotive retailer with competitive touring-car racing.

  Outcome. The sponsorship continued through a succession of team partnerships.

  Source

• 2021

  Restructure of motorsport sponsorshipsStrategy

  Background

  Repco took over the title sponsorship of the Supercars championship and the Bathurst 1000 after Supercheap Auto's naming-rights period ended.

  Action taken

  Supercheap Auto continued with an associate sponsorship of Triple Eight Race Engineering, naming-rights support for Bathurst 1000 entries, and naming rights for TCR Australia.

  Aftermath

  The brand maintained motorsport visibility through a broader set of partnerships rather than the former event-level title sponsorship.

  Source

• 1974

  Move from mail order into physical retailStrategy

  Background

  The business began as a home-based mail-order operation selling imported automotive accessories.

  Action taken

  Reg and Hazel Rowe opened the first Supercheap Auto store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

  Aftermath

  The store network became the central operating model for the expanding brand.

  Source

1. 1Supercheap Autoen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Supercheap Auto official websitesupercheapauto.com.au