AAPEX is done for another year, and after a packed week in Las Vegas, there’s plenty to look back on.
From store visits and stand building to busy show days, customer dinners, new opportunities and a self-imposed mission to eat at least one burger every day, AAPEX 2026 gave the Simply Brands team a little bit of everything.
Saturday: Retail Research… and the First Burger
Before the show even started, we used Saturday to get out into the market and see what was happening across US retail.
The team visited a mix of major automotive retailers including AutoZone, NAPA and O’Reilly Auto Parts, alongside mass-market stores such as Walmart, TJ Maxx, Dollar General and Target. It gave us a useful snapshot of the US retail landscape, the brands being stocked, how categories are being presented and where wider opportunities might exist for Simply Brands.
One of the things that always stands out in the US is simply the scale of retail. Major automotive and mass-market chains can often be found within a relatively small area, making it possible to compare completely different retail environments in a single day.
Naturally, the route had been planned with military precision.
This may or may not have had something to do with a strategically positioned stop at In-N-Out Burger.
Burger count: 1.
Sunday: Finding Our New Home
Sunday meant our first visit to the AAPEX halls, where construction of the stand was already underway.
This year brought a major change to the show layout, with Simply Brands moving into the new AAPEX Forum alongside a number of other exhibitors. The visit gave us a chance to find our new location, check on the build and get familiar with the brands around us before the halls filled with visitors.
Lunch?
In-N-Out again.
That evening, we headed to Flight Club with one of our customers for a more relaxed few hours with their buying team over drinks and darts, a good opportunity to catch up away from the exhibition floor before the real work started the following morning.
Burger count: 2.
Monday: Getting Show-Ready
Monday was all about getting the stand finished.
Graphics were checked, final build details were completed and the team got to work arranging product displays and samples ready for opening day. By the end of the afternoon, everything was finally starting to look show-ready.
That evening we joined Stoner Car Care, our partners on the Invisible Glass Wiper Blade programme, for dinner. It was the first opportunity to catch up with them face-to-face in around 12 months and gave us time to talk through further product opportunities that could help strengthen the brand in the future.
There was one slight deviation from the plan during the day.
No In-N-Out.
Instead, Redhead Burger stepped in.
We decided this still counted.
Burger count: 3.
Tuesday: Straight Into It
We had expected Tuesday morning to start relatively slowly, particularly with visitors getting used to the new hall layout.
It didn’t.
From shortly after 9am, the stand was busy.
One of the first major meetings of the show was with a new representative group working with us on Invisible Glass. Their full team of ten joined us on the stand for product and technical training, giving us the opportunity to introduce them properly to the range while also hearing their feedback on potential future product opportunities.
The rest of the day continued in much the same way, with a steady stream of existing customers and new contacts from North America, Canada and further afield.
One of the biggest talking points was Carfume. Making its AAPEX debut, the brand quickly became one of the standout attractions on the stand and generated plenty of interest from visitors throughout the day.
After a full day on the stand, the European and Simply Brands USA teams got together for dinner, a rare chance to have everyone in the same place at the same time.
And yes, lunch had been In-N-Out.
Burger count: 4.
Wednesday: More Conversations, More Opportunities
Wednesday brought another busy day, although thankfully with a slightly calmer start than Tuesday.
The conversations continued with both new and existing customers, and one particularly interesting theme began to emerge: own-brand air freshener programmes.
We spoke with a number of businesses looking for opportunities in this area, which is something we are already well placed to support through our fragrance capabilities and wider product development network.
After another full day, Redhead Burger returned for lunch before the team headed out for Texas-style BBQ in the evening, followed by a visit to Fremont Street.
Technically, the BBQ might have made the burger challenge slightly excessive by this point.
We carried on anyway.
Burger count: 5.
Thursday: Time to Explore
As expected, Thursday was a little quieter, giving the team an opportunity to step away from the stand and explore more of the show themselves.
Walking AAPEX gave us the chance to catch up with customers and industry contacts from around the world, while also seeing new product launches, returning brands and some of the wider developments shaping the automotive aftermarket.
Some of the team also headed over to SEMA, taking place in Las Vegas at the same time, to get a look at the more consumer-focused side of the automotive industry.
And with the end of the show approaching, there was one final piece of unfinished business.
A last visit to Redhead Burger officially completed the challenge.
One burger every day.
Mission accomplished.
Burger count: 6.
More Than Just a Trade Show
Away from the burger statistics, AAPEX 2026 gave us plenty to take home.
Introducing Carfume and Fine & Dandy to new audiences helped bring new visitors to the stand, while Invisible Glass and FRSH Scents continued to generate strong interest. We also came away with new contacts, own-brand enquiries, product ideas and plenty of conversations to continue over the coming weeks.
Just as importantly, the week gave our US and European teams valuable time together, as well as the chance to meet customers and partners face-to-face rather than through a screen.
After long journeys home to the US, Spain and the UK, the exhibition might be over, but the real work starts now.
There are enquiries to follow up, ideas to develop and opportunities to turn into business.
And after six burgers in six days, perhaps something slightly lighter for lunch.
