May 19, 2020—IMR Inc. interviewed 400 independent repair shops to gain insight into their parts purchasing experience during the pandemic, according to a press release. IMR provides syndicated and proprietary research as well as comprehensive, expert-level insights for the automotive industry.
According to the survey, 48 percent of shops have experienced disruption in getting parts.
About 14.8 percent of shops experience parts disruption "very frequently," 11 percent experience it "frequently," and 23 percent experience it "occasionally." Conversely, 30.8 percent of respondents said that they have “rarely” experienced disruption during this time, with the majority of these shops being in urban or suburban locations.
Shops reported that in some instances, they switched from their regular or preferred brand to an alternative brand of part.
