Shop & Technician Decision Process Research

May 9, 2025

2025 Repair Shop Challenges

As the automotive aftermarket navigates an evolving landscape, repair shops are bracing for significant challenges in 2025 and beyond. A recent IMR study revealed that concerns around part pricing and …

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May 7, 2025

IMR Survey: Tariffs Impact Repair Shops in 2025 

IMR, a leader in automotive aftermarket research, surveyed 500 general repair shops in April 2025 to assess the effects of recent tariffs on their operations, pricing strategies, and supply chains. …

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January 3, 2025

2024 Update: Private Label/Store Brand Parts Purchasing by Independent Auto Repair Shops

In July 2024, we spoke with 500 independent automotive repair shops about their purchase frequency and use of private label brands as well as the reasons why they use private …

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September 16, 2024

Perception of the Trades: Evolving Attitudes and Recommendations

In recent years, conversations around career options for the next generation have seen a notable shift, with traditional 4-year college degrees remaining prominent but with a growing recognition of the …

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March 28, 2023

Current Challenges for Independent Automotive Repair Shops – 2023

At the beginning of 2023 IMR surveyed independent automotive repair shops to get insight into what they believe their biggest challenges will be in 2023. Given the changing market dynamics …

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November 8, 2022

IMR’s ‘U.S. Household Perception of the Trades’ Report (With a Focus on the Automotive Technician Career Path)

Read updated study: September 2024 – Perceptions of the Trades: Evolving Attitudes and Recommendations The U.S. workforce is struggling to fill a massive gap in the skilled trades industry and …

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September 7, 2022

2022 Update: Private Label/Store Brand Parts Purchasing by Independent Auto Repair Shops

In July 2022, we spoke with 500 independent automotive repair shops about their purchase frequency and use of private label brands as well as the reasons why they use private …

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September 20, 2021

Effects of Supply Chain Disruptions on Independent Automotive Repair Shops

In August 2021, IMR interviewed 500 independent automotive repair shops, nationally representative by location in the U.S., to get insights on whether supply chain disruptions were affecting their business and …

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August 30, 2021

E-Commerce Purchasing Behavior at Independent Auto Repair Shops

In July 2021, IMR interviewed 500 independent automotive repair shops, nationally representative by location in the U.S., to get insights into their use of publicly available websites for parts purchasing …

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February 26, 2021

Update: Private Label/Store Brand Parts Purchasing by Independent Auto Repair Shops

In January 2021, we spoke with 500 independent automotive repair shops about their purchase frequency and use of private label brands. IMR started asking these questions in 2018 (Auto Repair …

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March 31, 2020

Automotive Parts & Service Consumer Purchasing Behavior During an Economic Downturn

The U.S. is experiencing an unprecedented economic shock due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Nearly every industry is being affected by the temporary shutdown in business activities.  While we hope business …

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January 22, 2020

Challenges for Independent Repair Shops and Technicians in 2020; Advice they’d give to Future Technicians

Heading into 2020, according to independent automotive repair shops, the biggest challenges to shops and their technicians include finding time for hands on training (42.6%), staying up to date with …

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October 2, 2017

Repair Shop’s Potential to Switch 1st Call Supplier

Automotive parts suppliers have strong satisfaction levels, with all shops rating their experience over the past few months as good, very good or excellent. Despite these strong scores, one-third of …

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August 1, 2017

Threats to General Repair Shop Business

In June, we asked general automotive repair shops about current and future threats to their business. Of the six current/future threats asked about, the cost of tools and equipment required …

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February 1, 2016

Independent Repair Shops Called Retailers First More in 2015 According to IMR Inc.’s Repair Shop Tracking Study

Retailers saw an increase in the number of independent repair shops making them their first call for parts in 2015. In 2014, 36.2 percent of shops called the retailer first …

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