Auto Care Association ACES & PIES Standards

Web Shop Manager + the Auto Care Association: Built on the Industry’s Data Standards

Web Shop Manager is a proud member of the Auto Care Association, the not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to protect and advance the interests of businesses providing aftermarket products and services for all classes of motor vehicles. The association is also the organization behind ACES® and PIES® — the data standards that make accurate fitment and product content possible across the aftermarket, and the foundation every Web Shop Manager catalog is built on.

Who the Auto Care Association Is

Established in 1999 through the consolidation of the Automotive Parts and Accessories Association (APAA) and the Automotive Service Industry Association (ASIA) — and known as the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) until its 2014 rebrand — the Auto Care Association is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Today it represents nearly 3,000 member companies and affiliates, which in turn represent some 150,000 businesses that manufacture, distribute, sell, and install motor vehicle parts, accessories, tools, equipment, materials, supplies, and services.

The Organization Behind ACES & PIES

ACES® (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) is the aftermarket’s standard for managing and communicating vehicle fitment data, supported by the association’s vehicle and product databases (VCdb, Qdb, PCdb, PAdb). PIES® (Product Information Exchange Standard) is the companion standard for product information — descriptions, pricing, attributes, packaging, and digital assets.

The Auto Care Association develops and maintains both standards through its Technology Standards Committee, with industry workgroups and a 90-day industry review preceding each release — the current releases are ACES 5.0 and PIES 8.0. The standards cover light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles as well as powersports, off-highway, and equipment. Web Shop Manager is engineered around these standards; you can read how they work in practice on our ACES & PIES Data Standards page.

What Membership Means for Your Store

• Standards-native catalogs — ACES/PIES-structured data flows into Year/Make/Model lookup and PartsLogic fitment search without translation layers. See our Fitment / Year Make Model tools.
• Cleaner data, fewer wrong-part returns — standardized fitment and attribute data helps shoppers find parts that fit the first time. Our Product Data Services team works in these formats every day.
• A connected data ecosystem — standards-based sources such as SEMA Data plug into Web Shop Manager because everyone is speaking the same technical language.

Supporting the Industry Beyond Standards

Data standards are only part of what the association does for the businesses it represents:

• Right to Repair advocacy — the Auto Care Association is a leading advocate for vehicle owners’ right to choose where their vehicles are serviced, backing the bipartisan REPAIR Act in Congress with grassroots support from across the industry.
• Market intelligence — the annual Auto Care Factbook, the TrendLens data platform, and ongoing industry research give members the numbers behind the market.
• Events — the association co-owns AAPEX, the aftermarket’s marquee trade show in Las Vegas, with MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers.
• Communities — groups like YANG (Young Auto Care Network Group), Women in Auto Care, and ACPN (Auto Care Professionals Network) connect peers across roles and career stages.
• Education — the association supports professional development through the University of the Aftermarket at Northwood University, including the AAP and MAAP designations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Auto Care Association?
A not-for-profit trade association, established in 1999 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, representing nearly 3,000 member companies across the auto care industry — manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and service providers.

Who maintains the ACES and PIES data standards?
The Auto Care Association develops and maintains ACES® and PIES® through its Technology Standards Committee, with industry workgroups and a formal review period before each release.

Why does Auto Care Association membership matter for an eCommerce platform?
Membership keeps Web Shop Manager aligned with the standards the rest of the industry publishes data in, so catalogs, fitment data, and supplier feeds move into your store the way the industry intended.

How does Web Shop Manager use ACES and PIES data?
ACES applications power Year/Make/Model lookup and fitment search; PIES content fills out descriptions, attributes, pricing, and images. Our ACES & PIES page covers the details.

What is the REPAIR Act?
Bipartisan federal legislation supporting vehicle owners’ right to repair — preserving access to the vehicle data and tools needed to service vehicles outside dealer networks. The Auto Care Association is one of its leading advocates.

Where can I learn more about the association?
Visit autocare.org for membership, standards documentation, research, and events.