How DIY came on strong over the pandemic

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

While the vast majority of American vehicle owners once preferred to have a shop do vehicle maintenance and repair for them, preferences have since changed significantly, according to a recent report.

The balance of product volume shifted going into and during the COVID-10 pandemic, reported Lang Marketing, to a level not seen before.

In its report, DIFM & DIY Changes and Channel Growth Differences, Lang looked at the six-year period of 2015-2021. In 2015, the do-it-for-me (DIFM) market made up 80 per cent of product share in the U.S.; do-it-yourself (DIY) was 20 per cent.

But over those six years, DIFM made up only 56 per cent of aftermarket product growth — it typically made up 90 per cent. The DIY segment made up the remaining 44 per cent, which is more than four times its normal amount.

“As a result, the DIFM share of light vehicle aftermarket volume slipped from 80 per cent in 2015 to 77 per cent by 2021. Concurrently, DIY share climbed from 20 per cent to 23 per cent of light vehicle product volume,” Lang reported.

Traditional warehouses and jobbers bore the brunt of the hit. It couldn’t “ride the wave of increasing DIY volume due to its weak position in that market,” Lang said.

Despite being the second biggest channel, it accounted for just 9 per cent of total aftermarket growth.

Indeed, the bulk of the growth was seen through integrated channels — where products don’t change ownership or program affiliation between a purchase from manufacturers to eventual sale — accounting for 86 per cent of aftermarket growth. Lang notes this channel is better suited for the DIY market.