The Auto Service Industry: Winners and Losers in the 1990's

CHANGE IS A HALLMARK of the automotive service industry. During the past several decades, the industry has restructured along virtually every dimension--demand patterns, consumer preferences, service repair tasks/functions, etc. This paper discusses the forces driving these historical changes, and identifies principal criteria differentiating the winners (i.e., growing/profitable service formats) from the losers. It then identifies forces driving future change, and predicts the industry structure of the 1990's. Against this backdrop, criteria are developed which characterize future winners and losers. This article should be of interest to individuals responsible for defining aftermarket technology and business strategies.