Three groups will outperform four others and generate changes in key aspects of the repair market as the VIO shifts and more
Fort Wayne, Ind.—Almost all (99%) of Do-It-For-Me (DIFM) car and light truck product growth over the past five years (2019 to 2024) was generated by three groups of repair outlets. “Repair Specialists” made the largest contribution to DIFM product growth, followed by “Foreign Specialists” and “Vehicle Dealers,” according to the latest Lang Aftermarket iReport.
“The other four major groups of DIFM outlets suffered virtually flat or lower product sales over these five years or achieved only minimal product growth,” states the report, adding, that this reflects the population changes of repair outlets in the U.S. caused largely by COVID-19, the shifting nameplate mix and age profile of vehicles in operation (VIO), changes in the competitive positioning of major groups of repair outlets, and other factors.
Lang Marketing tracks the DIFM product sales of seven major groups of repair outlets: “Service Stations & Garages,” “Repair Specialists,” “Foreign Specialists,” “Tire Stores,” “Auto Parts Stores with bays,” “Discount Stores/Mass Merchandisers with bays,” and “Vehicle Dealers.”
The following are key takeaways from the analysis.
Specialty DIFM Outlets
Two types of light vehicle specialty outlets have led DIFM product growth: Repair Specialists (outlets offering a limited array of service jobs) and Foreign Specialists (outlets focused on foreign nameplate repair). These two repair outlet groups contributed more than 72% to the expansion of DIFM market products between 2019 and 2024.
Repair Specialists were responsible for over 40% of DIFM market expansion, and Foreign Specialists topped 30% of market growth.
Dealers Create Major DIFM Growth
Vehicle Dealers were the only other major contributors to DIFM product growth between 2019 and 2024. They were responsible for 28% of the nearly $8 billion increase in light vehicle DIFM product volume at user-price.
Other Groups of Repair Outlets
Tire Stores recorded a minor DIFM product gain, which represented only about 1% of the total DIFM product increase. Three groups of repair outlets failed to achieve DIFM product growth between 2019 and 2024: Service Stations & Garages, Discount Stores/Mass Merchandisers with bays, and Auto Parts Stores with bays. Together, these four groups of outlets saw DIFM product sales fall by over $2 billion during those five years.
Service Stations & Garages Falter
Service Stations & Garages recorded the largest product volume of any repair outlet group between 2019 and 2024. However, Lang states they suffered nearly a $2 billion loss in product volume, as their share of car and light truck product sales fell by about one-sixth, the largest share decline of any outlet group.
Two Struggling Groups of Outlets
Discount Stores/Mass Merchandisers with bays recorded flat product volume between 2019 and 2024 and lost about one-tenth of their DIFM market share. Auto Parts Stores with bays fell $0.4 billion in product sales as their light vehicle product share shrank by more than one-fifth.
Aftermarket Impact
The concentration of light vehicle growth among only three major groups of repair outlets between 2019 and 2024 has had three significant aftermarket consequences.
• The concentration of DIFM product volume among a few repair outlets has caused changes in the brands of aftermarket products used in vehicle repair.
• Vehicle product volume has shifted among the five major distribution channels supplying the car and light truck aftermarket due mainly to the increased concentration of DIFM product sales.
• Falling Service Station & Garage product volume, resulting from their reduced population, reflects a reduction in the convenience of obtaining auto repair (as shown in the increasing number of cars and light trucks per service bay). This encourages the growth of online auto repair purchases and o2o (online to offline) DIFM transactions.
Lang Marketing projects that in 2025 (and through the end of the decade) Repair Specialists, Foreign Specialists and Vehicle Dealers will continue to outperform the other four groups of repair outlets. This will generate changes in key aspects of the repair market, including how consumers determine where to have their vehicles repaired and how vehicle repair is marketed to consumers.
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