The post-pandemic landscape: what changes for repair shops

The pandemic sped up changes the automotive industry would have taken years to go through. Cars sat idle, new vehicles got more expensive and customers began researching and deciding much more online. For repair shops, this new landscape brought both risks and opportunities. Here is what changes after the pandemic and how your shop can prepare, including with auto repair shop technology.

What changes for the automotive industry

An older fleet and more maintenance

The 2022 edition of the Circulating Fleet Report from Sindipeças and Abipeças (Brazil's auto parts associations) indicated that new vehicle sales would grow little in the following years. With many cars parked during the pandemic and new car prices rising, the trend is an older fleet on the road that needs more repairs and replacement parts.

This favors two markets: vehicle maintenance and parts replacement. For a repair shop, managing inventory and parts turnover well can make a real difference to results.

Growth of electric cars

Electric and hybrid cars are gaining ground year after year, and electric mobility is expected to keep growing. This requires specific training and equipment, but it also opens up a new range of services. At the same time, adopting the practices of a more sustainable repair shop becomes a selling point.

An online presence as a necessity

Before the pandemic, many small and mid-size shops were content with a website or a social media profile, without making the most of those channels. Today, being online is a requirement for being found. That means keeping channels updated, producing useful content and being present where customers search, combining website, social media and other contact channels.

How your shop can prepare

All three shifts have something in common: they require organized management. To benefit from more maintenance work, you need to control inventory and deadlines. To invest in new services, you need to know how much the shop earns. And to serve people who find you online, you need to respond quickly and deliver on your promises.

Meet the Onmotor system

Onmotor offers repair shop software with six plans to choose from. Talk to our team.