Accelerating a recent trend, more independent repair shops say they’re buying more private-label and store-brand auto parts, according to new research from IMR Inc.
In 2018, IMR Inc. asked shops if they had increased their purchasing of private-label and store-brand parts in the previous two years, and 33.4% said yes. Now, 65.8% of shops report increased purchasing of private-label parts.
The trend is projected to continue over the next year, with 68% of independent shops now reporting that they plan to increase their purchasing of private-label parts.
Only 1% of shop owners responded that they decreased their purchasing of private-label/store-brand parts over the last two years, while 65.8% increased their purchasing. Today, 45.4% of shop purchases are private-label/store-brand parts.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played a major role in the industry shift, with shop owners stating that “customers trying to save money due to pandemic uncertainty” is the top reason for their increased purchasing (33.9%) of private-label/store-brand parts. This response was followed by cost-effectiveness (19.2%), better availability (15.4%) and better quality (4.7%) as additional reasons for increase.
