“Survey respondents clearly preferred OEM and certified aftermarket parts,” said NABA Director Norbert Zaenglein. “Quality of parts continues to be a top consideration in the repair of collision-damaged vehicles.”
When asked about sales during the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, 50% of shops reported no change, 8% of shops reported an increase and 42% of shops reported a decrease in sales.
Another surprise was the number of shops that did not have any DRP affiliations. Approximately 58% of survey respondents did not have any DRPs, 8% participated in one DRP and another 8%belonged to two DRPs. Finally, 17% of respondents belonged to two DRPs and 8% said they were on at least six DRPs.
The average number of years in business was 24, and 76% of shops said they were family-owned.