Digital Auto Care Factbook & Lang Annual 2019 - LANG15

Section II-Executive Summary

SERVICE OUTLET POPULATION DECLINE
At mid-year 2017, there were 225,017 Service outlets repairing cars and light trucks in the U.S.
This was 10,283 fewer light vehicle Service outlets than in 2007. Service Stations and Garages
operate the largest number of light vehicle repair outlets in the U.S., with 121,180 locations at
mid-year 2017, despite a long and irregular decline in their outlet population. Between 2007 and
2017, the Service Station and Garage count receded more than 7%, shrinking by 9,560 outlets nationwide. There were 17,821 Dealer outlets at mid-year 2017, up slightly from 17,768 the previous
year. The Dealer population declined 3,129 between 2007 and 2017.
Repair Specialists (outlets focusing on a limited array of service operations) continued to multiply
during 2017, with their nationwide population reaching 29,860, an increase of 2,890 Repair Specialist outlets since 2007. Nationwide, there were 26,810 Tire Stores conducting vehicle repair in
addition to tire-related services at mid-year 2017, up from 26,515 in 2016 and a 1,035 outlet gain
over 2007. Foreign Specialists (outlets focusing on the repair of foreign nameplate cars and light
trucks) continued to proliferate, totaling 19,135 locations during 2017, up from 18,982 the previous year, with their nationwide population increasing 2,130 between 2007 and 2017. The residual
category of Other Service outlets represented 10,211 car and light truck repair establishments during 2017, down 3,649 locations from ten years earlier, a 26% reduction in outlet count.
GROWING SERVICE BAY CRISIS
There were 1,167,000 service bays conducting car and light truck repair in the U.S. at mid-year
2017. This count was down from 1,194,000 light vehicle service bays during 2009 and substantially below the 2007 light vehicle service bay population of 1,203,000. While Service Stations
and Garages operated the largest number of service bays during 2017, a total of 340,000, this was
4,000 fewer bays than they represented in 2007. Vehicle Dealers fell in service bay count between
2007 and 2017, receding from 346,000 to 292,000 light vehicle service bays, a 16% reduction.
Repair Specialists (outlets concentrating on a limited array of vehicle repairs) accounted for 227,000 car
and light truck service bays during 2017, up from 197,000 bays ten years earlier; while Tire Stores also
expanded their service bay count between 2007 and 2017, from 124,000 to 127,000. Foreign Specialists
(outlets focusing on the repair of foreign nameplate cars and light trucks) operated 86,000 service bays
at mid-year 2017, 1,000 more than during the previous year and up 14,000 bays from 2007. Finally, the
residual category of Other Outlets represented 95,000 service bays at mid-year 2017, down 3,000 from
the previous year and 25,000 fewer bays than during 2007.
MORE LIGHT VEHICLES PER BAY
As the number of light vehicle service bays declined 36,000 between 2007 and 2017, the population of cars and light trucks on U.S. roads climbed by over 24 million. Consequently, the average
number of cars and light trucks per service bay in the U.S. soared from 167 vehicles in 2000 to an
estimated 235 cars and light trucks for each service bay in the U.S. at mid-year 2017. Lang Marketing projects there will be at least 251 cars and light trucks for each service bay by mid-year 2019.
© 2018 by Lang Marketing Resources, Inc.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Auto Care Factbook & Lang Annual 2019