Urban shops hardest hit by pandemic

Urban repair shops in the United States appear to be suffering the biggest drop in business as a result of Covid-19 prevention measures.

A survey conducted by Ohio-based IMR Inc. found that 91.5% of urban repair shops reported a significant decrease in revenue, compared to 85.4% of suburban shops and 73.8% of rural shops.

However, urban shops are reporting fewer supply chain issues. Asked how frequently they experience a disruption in getting parts, 20.5% answered “frequently” or “very frequently.” By comparison, 27% of suburban shops, and 30.4% of rural shops answered that way.

Overall, the survey of 400 repair shops in the United States, conducted May 5 -11, found that 25.8% of shops had frequent or very frequent supply chain issues.

The top reasons for sourcing new suppliers during disruptions were availability of parts (49.4%), faster delivery required (27.1%), and regular supplier closed (14.1%).

Despite supply chain issues, shops remained largely loyal to their preferred brands, with most shops reporting that they rarely or never switched brand.

Read the full report HERE.