Report: Private Label, Store-Brand Parts Purchasing Increased

Sept. 2, 2020—IMR Inc., an automotive market research firm, has released the latest data on independent repair shop purchasing of private label and store-brand parts.

According to a press release, 65.8 percent of shops reported an increase in private label parts purchasing compared to only 33.4 percent in 2018. IMR projects for this trend to continue over the next year, with 68 percent of independent shops now reporting that they plan to increase their purchasing of private label parts. According to the report, only one percent of shop owners responded that they decreased their purchasing of private label and/or store brand parts over the last two years.

The report further says that the COVID-19 pandemic has played a major role in this industry shift with independent repair shop owners. A majority of shop owners—about 34 percent—state that “customers trying to save money due to pandemic uncertainty" is the top reason for their increased purchasing of private label/store brand parts. This response was followed by cost-effectiveness (19.2 percent), better availability (15.4 percent), and better quality (4.7 percent) as additional reasons for increase.