Repair Shop Supplier Tracking & Parts Research

IMR’s monthly Repair Shop Supplier Tracking and Parts Tracking studies give automotive aftermarket manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors a ground-level view of what’s actually happening inside independent repair shops across the U.S. Data is collected directly from shop decision-makers, the people responsible for parts purchasing, so every insight reflects real purchasing behavior, not estimates.

Shop Demographics & Operational Benchmarks

Understanding the repair shop landscape starts with knowing who’s in it. IMR tracks key operational metrics monthly, giving clients a current, reliable profile of the independent repair shop market.

Monthly shop demographic tracking includes:

• Average number of technicians and ASE-certified technicians per shop
• Average number of bays and vehicles serviced per month
• Average number of repair orders (ROs) written and average RO dollar value
• Average posted labor rate
• Vehicle mix by origin: Domestic, Asian, and European
• Primary sources shops use for technical and product information

Parts Supplier Share & Competitive Intelligence

Who are repair shops calling first for parts — and why? IMR’s supplier tracking research documents share of wallet, supplier preference, and competitive positioning across the independent repair shop channel every month.

Supplier metrics tracked include:

• Unaided and aided supplier awareness
• Supplier usage, consideration, and switching intent
• 1st call, 2nd call, and 3rd call supplier share
• Percentage of parts purchased from primary supplier
• Overall satisfaction with primary supplier
• Importance ratings for key supplier attributes (e.g., availability, delivery speed, price, service)
• Satisfaction ratings for primary supplier on those same attributes
• Likelihood to recommend and future purchase intent

This data allows WDs, manufacturers, and suppliers to benchmark their position against competitors, identify at-risk accounts, and prioritize where to invest in the trade relationship.

Parts Category Research — Brand Share & Purchasing Behavior

IMR tracks parts purchasing at the category level, giving brand managers and category teams visibility into exactly what shops are buying, which brands they’re choosing, and why. No other research provider offers this depth of category-level insight into the professional installer channel.

Category-level metrics include:

• Where shops purchase specific parts categories (e.g., brake pads vs. air filters vs. rotors) and which outlets capture that business
• Which suppliers are used for category purchases outside of the primary supplier relationship
• Unaided and aided brand awareness by category
• Brand usage, consideration, and preference
• Primary brand in use and secondary brands purchased
• Good/Better/Best parts tier usage
• Key brand attribute importance ratings
• Satisfaction with preferred brand on those attributes
• Premium brand usage and upgrade considerations

FAQ

What does IMR’s Repair Shop Supplier Tracking study measure? IMR’s Repair Shop Supplier Tracking study measures parts supplier awareness, usage, share of purchases, satisfaction, and competitive positioning among independent repair shops in the U.S. Data is collected monthly from shop decision-makers.

How often is repair shop purchasing data collected? IMR collects repair shop supplier and parts purchasing data on a monthly basis, allowing clients to track trends over time and respond to shifts in the market as they happen.

What types of repair shops are included in IMR’s research? IMR surveys independent automotive repair shops across the U.S., with data representative by region and shop type.

Can IMR track brand performance within specific parts categories? Yes. IMR’s parts category research tracks brand awareness, preference, usage, and satisfaction at the category level — including brake, filtration, ignition, and other key aftermarket categories.