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Research Outline

Prepared for Chris L. | Delivered March 18, 2020

Independent Auto Repair Shops

Goals

To provide market data and a competitive landscape for the independent auto repair industry in the US. For the market data, this will include the market size, characteristics, key statistics, financial ratios, five-year growth forecast, key risks, and success factors for the independent auto repair market. For the competitive landscape, this will include their market share and current performance.

Early Findings

  • The industry provides electrical and mechanical maintenance and repair for cars, trucks, vans, and trailers. It comprises self-employed mechanics, auto repair shops garages, and car care centers, but not car dealerships, auto parts retailers, or gas stations providing industry services.
  • Independent auto repair shops perform 75% of all aftermarket auto repair.
  • The most popular services offered by independent auto repair shops are servicing the brakes, cooling system, engines, AC/heating, electrical systems, performing inspections and checking on the steering, suspension and alignment.
  • There are 271, 026 auto mechanic businesses in the US, employing 585,865 persons. Their combined revenue for 2019 was $70 billion.  
  • A major threat facing the industry is potentially high gas prices, while an opportunity is an expected increase in vehicle registrations.
  • Practitioners in the independent auto repair industry are concerned about training (42.6%), keeping up with vehicle technology (31.1%), and advances in diagnostic technology (30.9%).
  • Independent repair shops view specialty repair chains as their top competitors (37%). Next were other independent repair shops (33%) and new car dealers were last (26%).
  • The reasons why specialty repair chains were viewed as the top competitors were because they did more advertising (28%), are more well known (19%), and have larger shops and more technical equipment (13%).
  • The specialty repair chains were offering better pricing and deals (39%), advertising more (29%), and were managing a higher volume of vehicles (20%) to be more competitive.