Abstract
Better Understanding of End-user Needs is Critical for Success in the Declining U.S. Automotive Refinish Coatings Market
The consumption of automotive refinish coatings in the United States is declining primarily due to use of higher solids coatings, better or more efficient spraying equipment, and enhanced life of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coatings. It becomes increasingly important for coating manufacturers to better understand their customers -- the body shops, in order to design products and services that meet changing end-user requirements.
This Frost & Sullivan research examines the end users (body shops) of the U.S. automotive refinish coatings market and analyzes their product usage pattern, industry issues, unmet needs, investment patterns, vendor selection criteria, vendor loyalty, and customer perception.
Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during automotive refinish operations was the most important issue faced by body shops. The market is also effectively tackling concerns such as impact of regulations curtailing the use of solvent-based coatings and a greater preference for plastic parts.
"Two prominent trends observed during this end-user study were the increase in the number of dealership owned body shops and displacement of smaller body shops by the established ones," points out the analyst.
General maintenance, replacements, and repairs were marked as the areas with maximum facility expenses. In this scenario, participants in the auto finishing market are resorting to combining various processing phases to arrive at a more flexible time schedule for the diverse processes.
A detailed factor analysis indicated that end users focus on performance and costs, service, and product features and image. Significantly, they evaluate the service and product features based on their availability, performance, color matching capabilities, cost of use, and price.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 1. Introduction
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Objectives of This Study
- 3. Sampling
- 4. Methodology
- 5. Significant Market Segment Differences
- 6. Conclusions
- 2. Auto-Refinishing Usage
- 1. Auto-Refinishing Usage
- 1. Auto-Refinishing Usage
- 2. Number of Auto-Refinishings In A Typical Month
- 3. How Many Gallons of Paint Does Your Shop Purchase In a Typical Month?
- 4. How Much Paint In Dollars Does Your Shop Purchase In a Typical Month?
- 5. Auto-Refinishing Processing Allocation
- 6. Combining Substrate Pre-Treatment & Primer
- 7. Combining Primer & Refinish Basecoat
- 8. Combining Refinish Basecoat & Refinish Topcoat
- 9. Combining Refinish Topcoat & Refinish Clearcoat
- 10. Scheduled Maintenance Closedowns
- 11. Percentage of Paint Overspray/Waste
- 12. Most Topical Industry Issues
- 13. Unmet Needs
- 14. Facility Expenses
- 15. Recent Technological Investments
- 16. Recent Innovations/Technological Developments
- 17. Future Technological Investments
- 18. Average Delivery Turnaround Time
- 3. Vendor Selection Criteria
- 1. Vendor Selection Criteria
- 1. Vendor Selection Criteria
- 2. Main Purchasing Criteria
- 3. Level of Importance - Product Features
- 4. Level of Importance - Service Features
- 5. Bivariate Analysis of Importance - Top 3 Factors
- 6. Bivariate Analysis of Importance - Top 3 Factors - Availability
- 7. Bivariate Analysis of Importance - Top 3 Factors - Performance
- 8. Bivariate Analysis of Importance - Top 3 Factors - Color Matching Capabilities
- 9. Factor Analysis - Importance
- 10. Main Supplier
- 11. Length of Time With Supplier
- 12. Future Purchase Preferences
- 13. Key Supplier Strengths
- 14. Key Supplier Weaknesses
- 4. Vendor Loyalty
- 1. Vendor Loyalty
- 1. Vendor Loyalty
- 2. Switching Behavior
- 3. Supplier Loyalty
- 4. Satisfaction Guarantees
- 5. OEMs Influence
- 6. Insurance Companies Influence
- 5. Frost & Sullivan 2005 Awards
- 1. Frost & Sullivan 2005 Awards
- 1. Frost & Sullivan 2005 Awards
- 2. Highest Quality of Products In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 3. Most Innovative Products In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 4. Best Value In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 5. Best Customer Service In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 6. Vendor Providing The Best Training Program In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 7. Best Brand Image In The Auto-Refinishing Industry
- 6. Firmographics
- 1. Firmographics
- 1. Firmographics
- 2. Respondent Profile
- 3. Region
- 4. Type of Auto-Refinishing Shop
- 5. Number of Employees
- 6. Number of Shops For Which Respondent is Responsible
- 7. Glossary of Terms
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