Repair Shops & Customer Marketing Strategies

In June, IMR asked 500 repair shops to gauge their marketing strategies amid economic challenges. The findings reveal key trends, segmented by shop size: small (1-3 bays), medium (4-7 bays), and large (8+ bays).

Marketing Efforts in the Current Economic Climate

Repair shops are primarily exploring price-focused messaging, with 72% highlighting discounts or value deals to engage customers.

Only 3% are emphasizing products/services like brakes or oil changes, while 2% are increasing campaign frequency with more ads or emails. A mere 1% emphasize quality or reliability messaging, and 22% report no changes to their approach.

Adjusting Marketing Budgets

To address economic challenges and attract or retain customers, 13% of shops are boosting their marketing budget for better visibility: 0% of small shops, 67% of medium shops, and 33% of large shops.

Meanwhile, 24% are shifting focus to a specific budget, with 16% of small shops, 59% of medium shops, and 25% of large shops adopting this strategy. A significant 32% are partnering with suppliers for co-branded promotions: 8% of small shops, 60% of medium shops, and 32% of large shops.

However, 30% report no changes to their marketing budget allocation, with 54% from small shops, 41% from medium shops, and 5% from large shops.

Targeting Customer Segments

Shops are targeting price-sensitive customers (44%), with 13% of small shops, 60% of medium shops, and 27% of large shops focusing here. Owners of older vehicles (12+ years) are a priority for 2%, with 58% of small shops, 42% of medium shops, and 0% of large shops acting.

Performance or luxury vehicle owners (1%) and regular DIYers (1%) are less prioritized. Notably, 52% of shops report no specific targeting, with 45% from small shops, 42% from medium shops, and 12% from large shops.

These insights indicate that medium-sized shops are leading in adaptive marketing strategies, while small and large shops show more caution or broad approaches.