By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — January 1, 2019 — It’s a new year and a new start. Collision Repair spent time looking back on 2018, but what about looking forward? What should we have to look forward to in terms of the business outlook for collision repairers? As a result, we have provided some predictions with what 2019 will bring to the industry.
For starters, professionalization is not going to slow. Like every year since 2002, Canada will see an increase in the amount of money going through bodyshops, but a decline in the total number of facilities. In fact, the trend is likely to increase in pace, as the market punishes facilities that have not invested in the training and equipment needed to repair modern vehicles and lavishes more rewarding work on those who are prepared.
For those shops still poorly equipped to handle repairs on the technologically complex modern car, some hope remains. In 2019, the average Canadian car will surpass 10-years-of-age for the first time in history.
Beyond collision repairs, this year will also see a new trend pay dividends to bold owners. With a number of new technologies like mobile-connected car security systems, requiring hardware to be installed by collision repair professionals, some shops will benefit from offering third party equipment installations.
For 2019 there will also be a proving period for the ‘scientifically designed’ Italian-style repair facilities. With a half-dozen-or-so facilities already up and running, industry analysts will soon reach an agreement on whether the promise of a streamlined shop floor is worth the extra costs, or not. Should they be worth their salt, expect local competition to emerge in the form of Canadian firms offering similar ‘ground-up’development oversight of efficient facilities. This will both lower the entry price, and likely make the approach ubiquitous with new developments.
