1、Automotive Aftermarket PulseREPORTThe big squeeze:How cost pressures are driving change in the automotive aftermarketVehicle sales volumes remain stalled in most markets,still below pre-2020 levels.The transition to battery electric vehicles(BEV)is slower than expected,and the race for leadership in

2、 software-defined vehicles continues.Aggressive trade policies have disrupted global supply chains and added a new level of uncertainty.Across the automotive world,most segments are under tremendous strain except for the aftermarket.As sales of new cars fell in many markets and average vehicle age r

3、ose,demand and cost for repairs and maintenance has grown,spurring opportunities in service and replacement parts.However,2025 indicates that the exceptional development of recent years may not continue forever.While the underlying support of the continuous rise in the age of the global car parc wil

4、l remain,consumers(both B2B and B2C)are showing increased price sensitivity.Rising repair costs are driving demand for lower-cost parts and online distributors.To understand these challenges better,we conducted a survey of 600 garages/workshops and 6,000 private car owners in 13 of the worlds most i

5、mportant automotive markets:Belgium,Brazil,Canada,China,France,Germany,Italy,Mexico,Netherlands,Spain,Turkey,UK,and USA.Most of the results confirmed our hypotheses.Independent repair shops are gaining market share.B2B online parts purchases are expanding,driven by cost-conscious repair shops.Many w

6、orkshops are trying to expand their expertise in BEV and ADAS repairs.Additionally,we also found one surprising trend:the growing promise urban garages now see in convenience as a differentiator.To set themselves apart,many shops now see such services as pick-up and drop-off as a low-cost,low-tech w