Essential research for car manufacturers, insurers, investors, advisers, operators and suppliers

Trend Tracker's latest collision repair sector report, The Future of the UK Car Body Repair Market 2010-2015 (published 1 February 2010), fully updates our in-depth coverage of the structure, volume and dynamics of the car body repair market in the UK. It analyses demand- and supply-side data from 1999 to date, and forecasts future trends to 2015. Detailed analysis and commentary is provided on this market for operators of bodyshops, insurance companies, accident management firms, car dealers and manufacturers, and companies supplying body repair outlets with products and services.

Users of this latest biennial bodyshop report in the mfbi/Trend Tracker series first launched in 1993 will benefit from the authors' uniquely long experience of how market trends have evolved in the sector, and where they're pointing now.

Richard P. Gandy, Commercial Manager, Bodyshop and Insurance at EurotaxGlass's, says of this report, "Yet again Trend Tracker has produced a superb analysis that accurately captures and interprets all the essential dynamics of our industry. I'm sure that this edition will become an essential foundation of many organisational strategies."

Trends surveyed in this study include:

• Market volume and value
• Market segmentation - insurance/fleet/privately-funded repairs
• Unit repair costs
• Repair costs by make of car
• Supply structure evolution
• Motor insurance market trends
• Market dynamics and drivers
• Strategic outlook to 2015

The Future of the UK Car Body Repair Market 2010-2015 covers the numbers of independent and franchised bodyshop outlets, trends in the size of bodyshops, in insurance- and manufacturer-approved networks, and provides an overview of SMART repair specialists.

For The Future of the UK Car Body Repair Market 2010-2015 Trend Tracker analysts completed primary tele-research and analysed nearly a quarter of a million invoices - and utilised a range of reliable data sources - to ensure the unchallenged accuracy of this industry profile.

As well as the brand new research, and industry trends over the last decade, this study took account of the macroeconomic conditions following the 2008/2009 recession to produce a market forecast to 2015.

Like previous editions, this report will be essential reading for vehicle manufacturers, insurers, investors, advisers, operators, suppliers and others who need to understand the risks and opportunities facing each of the key protagonists in a punishingly competitive market where business failure is increasingly commonplace.

The Future of the UK Car Body Repair Market 2010-2015 was published on 1 February 2010 priced at £1,250 + VAT. The report can be purchased online now.

For more information please download PDFs of the table of contents and list of data tables/charts above.

No conventional management report, Car Futures - Rethinking the automotive industry beyond the American model - is aimed at policy makers, academics, environmental NGOs, and of course, the industry itself. The authors say, “We hope to shock all of these interest groups at least some of the time as a contribution to the reconstruction of what remains a vital industry.”

Drawing on the history of the auto industry since mass production began in Detroit, the authors argue that the crisis of the once-'Big Three' (GM, Ford, Chrysler) has put in question the whole American business model, copied worldwide, that once underpinned their dominance.

They write in the report's Executive Summary, “There is a mistaken belief among car manufacturers that their activity is the be all and end all of automobility. While there is no car market without somebody making a car, there is no business without somebody making money, and that is where car makers seem to be missing a trick or two. Manufacturers only capture a limited slice of the total automotive value chain.
“New business models for the future would need to capture more of that value chain by integrating assembly, distribution and aftercare. This kind of thinking could also ultimately lead to a more sustainable car industry in economic, social and environmental terms. The current recession with its attendant credit crunch may well accelerate this process of industrial transformation. Many current players have proved to be ill-adapted to the 21st century automotive ecosystem. We may see some radically new business models emerge within the next 10 or 20 years.”

Besides preparing readers for the future, Car Futures - Rethinking the automotive industry beyond the American model also provides the historical information and economic and technical data to help understand how the auto industry became the problematical phenomenon it now is, commanding big subsidies to support overcapacity while its global environmental footprint is still growing.

The 100 A4 pages of Car Futures - Rethinking the automotive industry beyond the American model include 28 tables, charts and photos.

Until midnight on 20 November, Trend Tracker is offering the Car Futures PDF + book package at a special launch price £55.00 + VAT

Thereafter an electronic PDF download is priced at £49.00 + VAT, while this PDF together with a printed and wire-bound soft cover copy is priced at £69.00 + VAT, inclusive of inland/surface despatch.

Dr Paul Nieuwenhuis AffIMI and Dr. Peter Wells are co-directors of the globally influential Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff Business School, one of the few academic centres globally to study the sector and its broader economic and environmental impacts.

The Castrol Professional Car Service & Repair Trend Tracker 2008 is the most comprehensive study available about a market sector of vital importance to the retail motor industry during the present downturn. Running to 188 pages with 206 tables and charts, quite simply you will not find a more complete treatment anywhere.

It had been our intention to bring out a brand new Car Service & Repair Trend Tracker every two years, but it seems that events have overtaken us. The severe downturn is driving change in the retail car industry and in the last few months we have had over one hundred phone calls and emails - the majority from buyers of the 2008 report - looking for current data and information on the market for SMR.

We have, therefore, decided to complete an update of the 2008 Trend Tracker, which will be published in March or April 2010. We emphasise that this will be an update focusing on (* contents subject to change):

• Executive summary
• Market background and trends: summarising the present state of the market including important background factors. We will revisit our 2008 market sizing analysis and examine any significant impacts.
• Market supply structure: In this section we will review the competing supplier channels in a similar way to our previous, long-established Service Trend Tracker, as well as recording our observations on recent trends.
• Servicing retention: All new data has been researched for this section - Section 7 in the 2008 report - with all the usual breakdowns by marque.
• Retention of servicing, maintenance and repairs: Section 8 of the 2008 report will be totally updated including all the results by marque.
• Strategic outlook and forecasts: We will revisit the forecasts we made in 2008.

Clearly the Car Service & Repair Trend Tracker 2009/2010, as an update, will be much shorter than the 2008 report and this will be reflected in the published price - £995 + VAT.

The pre-publication special offer price is £795 + VAT and you can download the order form clicking on it above. Once you have completed the order form either fax it to us (0870 421 4351) or post to Trend Tracker Limited, 116 High Street, Chapmanslade, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 4AW. Please note that we will only charge/invoice you when your report is despatched.

• Preface
• Executive summary
• Market background
• The used car market
• Used car sales by brand
• The supply of used cars
• The distribution of used cars
• The future and conclusions
• Appendix (PowerPoint slide presentation for your internal use)

You can download the complete contents of the report as a PDF above along with a PDF of all the tables and charts.

So if your job involves market and resource planning for:

• Car manufacturers and importers
• Finance companies and contract hire/leasing companies
• Franchised dealer groups
• Independent used car groups or supermarkets
• Auction houses or companies involved in used car disposal or re-marketing
• Automotive industry analysis, consultancy and training

….. then you will certainly profit from this in-depth study of a market crucial to the UK's retail car industry.

The report is available to buy now online for £1,250.00 + VAT. Or to purchase by post or fax please dowload the order form PDF above. You can also phone us on 0870 421 4350 to place your order or find out more details.

What the report includes
The report contains the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of current trends and future developments in the car finance market with forecasts to 2014. It is, quite simply, the definitive independent study of the current trends and future development of the market for direct and point of sale financing of car purchases in the UK including:

• The latest data about the retail car finance market by value and volume
• Trends in point of sale finance value and volume, 2003 - 2008
• Direct finance by value and volume, 2003 - 2008
• Developments in the supply of car finance and distribution
• Market size forecasts to the year 2014

Contents summary (please download the detailed contents list as a PDF, above):

• Executive summary
• Market background
• Market size and trends
• The supply structure
• Car finance distribution
• The finance consumer
• The future and conclusions
• Appendix (PowerPoint synopsis)

Report presentation

• Over 100 pages and 50 data tables and charts
• Wire-bound report printed in full colour
• PDF electronic copy
• 15-slide electronic PowerPoint synopsis for your internal presentations

If your job involves market and resource planning for any of these:

• Car manufacturers' and independent POS finance companies
• Direct lenders
• Brokers
• Automotive dealer groups
• Banks and other money market operators
• Automotive industry analysts, consultants and academics

….. then you will certainly profit from this in-depth study of a market crucial to the UK's retail car industry.

What should you do next?
Please download the detailed contents pages and list of tables and charts - the PDF files listed above - to see if this report really can help you plan a post-crisis future for your business.

Available now the report is £1,450 + VAT for a PDF file and bound copy. You can buy the report using your credit card online now and download a zip file containing a PDF of the full report and a 15-slide Powerpoint summary. The hard copy will then be despatched to you within three working days. Alternatively phone us on 0870 421 4350 for other ways to buy.

You can order your copy of the rts Auto Retail Industry Salary Survey 2009 right now online for £199 + VAT and download the PDF version immediately. We will then post you the hardcopy report complete with the CD of Motor Trade Selection's 'Broad Spectrum' Guidelines.

If you are a member of Auto Retail Network, the RMIF or the SMTA, you are entitled to a member's discount of 25% off the normal price of £199, making the price only £149 plus VAT. And bundled into the CD, you also receive job descriptions for 35 franchised dealer positions. To take advantage of this members' offer, please contact Francis Marshall at Auto Retail Network on 01572 724687. (Note: This offer cannot be processed online.)

Who should order:

• Auto retail directors responsible for setting pay plans and reward schemes
• Senior managers responsible for recruitment and pay
• Job seekers monitoring their own pay packages
• Executives involved in recruitment and retention of staff

NEW You can now download single pages from the rts Auto Retail Industry Salary Survey 2009 reporting basic and total pay for individual jobs for £15 + VAT each. In most cases the download includes the job description as well as salary information by region and nationally. Order these right now online and download the PDF immediately. (Not available in hardcopy.) Download the free sample for a car valeter now! (above)

These individual pages cover:

• Bodyshop Painter / Panel Beater
• Bodyshop Foreman / Estimator (job description for Estimator only)
• Bodyshop Manager
• Bodyshop Receptionist / Adviser
• Car Sales Executive (job description for Sales Executive but salary details merge Sales Executives and F&I Managers)
• Dealer Principal / General Manager
• Dealership Accountant
• General Clerical Assistant (job descriptions are for Ledger/Accounts Clerk, Database Controller, Accounts Assistant/Cashier and Sales Administration Assistant
• Sales Manager (job description for General Sales Manager)
• Parts Counter / Warehouse Assistant
• Parts Manager
• Parts Sales Representative / Telesales (no job description available)
• Parts Delivery Driver / Van Sales (job description for Parts Delivery Driver)
• Service Department Clerical Staff (job description for Warranty Administrator and Service Receptionist
• Service Mechanic (no job description available)
• Service Foreman / Workshop Controller (job description for Service Foreman)
• Service Manager
• Service Receptionist
• Service Technician

• The long-established Service Trend Tracker, which drills down into where motorists last had a routine service carried out on their car based on extensive consumer research
• The Repair Trend Tracker, which utilises consumer data to analyse a range of mechanical servicing, maintenance and repair operations
• The biennial mfbi UK Car Service and Repair Market report looking at market size and trends and the garage supply structure in Britain.

The Castrol Professional Car Service & Repair Trend Tracker 2008 combines market share data with comprehensive, detailed analysis of market trends over the past decade - and with market forecasts to 2013.

Just some of the key questions this report will answer:

• What is my brand's retention of 4-year+ service and repair jobs?
• How does my network's servicing retention compare with my competitors?
• How does my brand's retention of repair jobs compare with others?
• What are the repair profiles of different vehicle brands?
• Which franchised networks are best at retaining post-warranty servicing?

And.....

• What factors are influencing service and repair demand?
• How is vehicle build quality and the improving quality of parts affecting the market?
• How are electronics, training and technical data requirements affecting all-makes suppliers?
• What's the total UK service and repair market worth? How big will it be over the next five years?
• How big is the parts market for servicing and repair?
• How might a fall in new car sales affect the market for servicing and repair?
• What are the market shares for franchised dealers, independents and DIY?
• Block Exemption: What are the likely impacts of EU legislation after 2010?

Full details of planned report content can be downloaded from this page.

Marques covered in this report: Citroën, Fiat Group, Ford, Honda, MG Rover, Nissan, Other German (Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz), Other Japanese (Daihatsu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki), Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

The Castrol Professional Car Service & Repair Trend Tracker is designed specifically to help subscribers anticipate and understand all the opportunities and threats facing them and their key competitors in a tough market.

Available now the report is £1,250 + VAT for a PDF file and bound copy.

In a sector known for rapid rates of staff attrition, a good job description is one, essential component of an effective toolset for people development and retention. These were created by John Genge, FIMI, the consultant, accountant and former dealer principal who was one of the founding directors of Trend Tracker Ltd.

Available to download as a Zip file of PDFs only, for which Acrobat Reader is required. This product is NOT available in print form.

See free download of sample job description for valeters

Author and seasoned automotive marketing expert Howard Popeck explains just why a good letter can win a customer's full attention when a phone call or an e-mail might be inappropriate, or soon forgotten. Furthermore, the targeted direct mail campaign has a growing role to play in reducing dealerships' advertising costs without compromising the effectiveness of the marketing budget.

The guide includes a whole series of carefully crafted, proven letters - to suspects, prospects, customers, and invitations to dealership events - so that sales staff and managers needn't reinvent the wheel. These can be adapted to the dealership's own preferred format and transferred from CD-ROM to the DMS.

Money Making Sales Letters for Motor Retailers includes a 180-page printed report and CD-ROM and is priced at £149.00 + VAT inclusive of delivery.

The Castrol Business Services Car Repair Trend Tracker focuses on the repair and MoT test markets rather than simply analysing service visits, and as such it provides an even more comprehensive picture on what makes the aftermarket tick. In particular it demonstrates clearly how MoT test centres help drive the dominance of non-franchised sectors in the car repair market.

The report begins by looking at the service and repair market in total, comparing each marque's performance with the all-marques' performance. It also relates each marque's performance with that identified in the 2005 Car Maintenance & Repair report. The marques surveyed are similar to those analysed in the Castrol Business Services 'Service' Trend Tracker, which is published in the first quarter of every year.

This latest Castrol Business Services Car Repair Trend Tracker report concentrates on independent garage's loosening grip of the service and repair market, as fast-fits and franchised dealers take greater share of the lucrative market.

General Overview

1. Type of work done by vehicle make and age
2. Where work done by vehicle make
3. What work done and where
4. Maintenance frequency by make
5. Aftermarket news summary

Marques

Fiat, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Other Japanese (Mazda, Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi), Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, MG Rover, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Other German (BMW, Mercedes, Audi), Honda and Saab and Volvo.

Car Age Groups

<4 years, 4-6 years, 7-9 years, 10 years and more.

Sectors

Franchised dealers and Independent garages, Fast-fit and DIY.

The basic subscription to the report includes one perfect bound copy as well as an electronic version in full colour. Trend Tracker Limited now offers a personal presentation of the results suitable as an opening to a training session or an in-house conference. This presentation includes findings of other reports recently published by Trend Tracker Limited.

This primary research results in a broad reported range of operators' rather than analysts' views of trends, linked to regional market potential. Although the samples are not weighted to reflect the volume of sales moving through a specific channel or outlet, the businesses surveyed include major chains as well as independents, so are representative of the UK aftermarket.

This report was the tenth in a series over five years. Some previous editions are still available. Please email us (info@trendtracker.co.uk) to discuss.

The Castrol Business Services Car Servicing Trend Tracker has been published annually since 1994. Each January edition contains both primary consumer research data, comprehensive aftermarket data from other sources, and analysis of topical aftermarket trends and issues.

The Castrol Business Services Car Servicing Trend Tracker has established itself as the benchmark UK aftermarket review. It looks in detail at service retention trends by vehicle marque and age - identifying where cars were last serviced and how satisfied the owners were with that service.

The report also looks at the distribution and service channels in the sector - identifying and sizing the major players - and includes a review of key news events of the six months leading up to publication of the latest issue. An extensive list of UK trade associations is also included.

General Overview

1. Where Vehicle Last Serviced
2. Franchised Dealers' Performance
3. Other Garages Service Stations' Performance
4. Self/Unpaid (DIY) Performance
5. Other Paid Source Performance
6. Satisfaction With Last Service
7. Service Provider Market Segment Details
8. Aftersales News Bytes and UK Automotive Contacts

The Marques

Fiat, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Other Japanese (Mazda, Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi), Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, MG Rover, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Other German (BMW, Mercedes, Audi), Honda and Saab and Volvo.

Car Age Groups

<4 years, 4-6 years, 7-9 years, 10 years and more.

Sectors

Franchised dealers and Independent garages, Fast-fit and DIY.

This latest, 2005 edition of the benchmark mfbi study covers the structure and future development of the car service and mechanical repair market from 1994 to 2004, with forecasts to 2010. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of trends in the car service and mechanical repair market for private cars and cars operated by businesses and fleet operators. The report provides detailed analysis of the market for franchised dealers and independent garages, fast-fit and autocentre operators, car manufacturers, fleet companies and suppliers of parts and services to the garage trade.

The report analyses all aspects of the service and repair market including market size and trends and the garage supply structure in Britain. In addition to analysing the main elements of the market, the report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that influence demand in the market.

Quantitative data originating from primary 'b2b' research carried out for this 2005 edition includes detail of workshops by size (staff, number of bays) and type (franchised or independent); types of work carried out; main sources of work; no. of cars serviced/repaired; labour charge-out rates and servicing costs; gross profits from parts and labour; and the percentage of OE and non-OE parts used, by service/repair sub-sector.

Executive Summary

Market Background 1994-2004

The UK economy; car ownership trends; UK demand for new cars; size and structure of the car parc.

The Mechanical Service and Repair Market: 1994-2004

Market size and trends by value and volume - retail and fleet service and repair; labour and parts expenditure; factors influencing the market; block exemption and competition legislation.

The Service and Repair Supply Structure: 1994-2004

Number of outlets; independent garage workshops and garage chains; franchised dealers; fast-fit chains; non-franchised garage chains and auto centres; franchised dealer and independent garage comparisons;l fast-fit chains; market penetration.

Strategic Outlook and Recommendations

The service and repair market - opportunities and threats; supplier SWOT analyses - franchised dealers, independent garages, fast-fit chains, auto centres; Main strategic considerations - Franchised dealers, independent garages.

The Future and Conclusions: 2004-2010

The UK economy; demographics and car ownership; market size and trends; the supply structure.