For US Auto Parts Network Inc., the new mantra is how much money is made on each sale, not how many auto parts are sold.

So far, this change in focus is paying off for both the Carson online seller of aftermarket auto parts and its investors.

US Auto Parts reported a third-quarter profit Nov. 2 of $353,000 – its first profitable third quarter in six years. That’s quite a turnaround from a year ago, when the company posted a $2 million net loss.

That news ignited a buying spree among investors, sending the company’s shares up more than 23 percent on the week to $2.46. US Auto Parts was the second-biggest gainer on the LABJ Stock Index.

The key factor behind the earnings turnaround has been a switch in the company’s strategy from a focus on sales volume and reach to an emphasis on higher-margin specialty products particularly aftermarket parts for the collision-repair market.

US Auto Parts Chief Executive Shane Evangelist summed it up in his opening remarks on a Nov. 2 conference call with analysts:

“If I asked you where you would go to buy wiper blades or brake pads, you would likely answer AutoZone or Pep Boys. Now if I asked you where you would go to buy a hood or a fender, you likely wouldn’t answer AutoZone or Pep Boys. Instead, you would likely either go to a pick-and-pull salvage yard or you would go online. These dynamics make the collision market a nice specialty online retail business.”

Evangelist said fully 50 percent of sales are now in this specialty collision market, with much of that from private-label versions of automaker-branded products. That helped drive a 30 percent gain in gross margin during the third quarter compared with the same quarter last year, which was the single biggest factor behind the company’s return to profitability.

This was especially welcome news for one of the few analysts following the company.

“We are encouraged by gross margin gains in third quarter 2015, driven by the mix-shift toward private label and margin discipline for branded products,” said Jeff Martin, an analyst with Roth Capital Partners in Newport Beach.

Martin said he’s boosted his future profit estimates and price target for US Auto Parts, but he cautioned that the company cannot just coast and expect the profits to continue rolling in.

“The aftermarket for auto parts is extremely competitive, particularly in the online market,” he said. “The threat of new entrants is high, as evidenced by certain suppliers to US Auto Parts deciding to sell direct to customers in recent years.”