2019 Research Insights:

• In the 2019 BodyShop Business Industry Profile, we asked the average age of their production shop personnel. The average was 43 years old.

• In the 2019 PARTS survey of counter professionals, we asked what percentage of their customers will switch brands based on counterperson recommendations. Slightly more than half of professional technicians would switch brands after listening to the counter pro.

• In the DIY portion of the 2019 PARTS survey, we asked the DIYers where they learned how to do car repairs. 61% said they relied on years of experience passed down from family members; 53% said from YouTube videos; 19% from automotive magazines; 19% from DIY magazines like Popular Mechanics or Family Handyman; and 18% from car maintenance shows. Respondents were allowed to select multiple categories.

• Prices on motor vehicle parts and equipment have trended sideways for most of this decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, prices for motor vehicle parts and equipment peaked in the summer of 2012 at 149 (where 1982-1984 = 100). After that, the index slowly dipped down as low as 141 in 2017, before rising back to 147 in the fall of 2019.

From surveys to focus groups, our experienced automotive aftermarket industry research team leverages deep industry knowledge to craft research campaigns that deliver accurate and reliable data. Our research insights can help you take the pulse of the market, court new business, gain customer insights and track and predict trends.

Bruce Kratofil has been the Audience Insights Manager at Babcox Media since 2017. Prior to that, he was the Market Strategy and Research Manager at The Plain Dealer, in Cleveland, Ohio.