COVER STORY: Brake Products Market Facts

In the sample from the Car Maintenance in Canada Report, the primary vehicle in 65.7% of responding households was a passenger car, while in 34.4% of cases, it was a light truck. Here are some of the highlights.

The incidence of repair/purchase by product category for brake jobs was 44.1% in 1995, and 39.2% in 1998, making brakes a high incidence item.

In terms of the total market potential for brake jobs, the figure for 1996 is about 7.2 million and for 1998 close to 6.6 million.

The percentage of mechanic-installed (MI) for brake jobs in 1998 was 76%, making brakes one of the top MI categories.

DIY consumers performed the remaining 24% of brake jobs which makes DIY installation for brake jobs below the 33% average of DIY installation across all products analyzed in the report.

In terms of the location in which brake jobs were performed or parts purchased, here are the top outlets: independent repair shops, 31.8%; new car dealers, 23.1%; Canadian Tire, 11.7%; auto parts stores, 11.3%

Restricting share percentages to MI only, the shares are as follows: independent repair shops, 41%; new car dealers, 28%; and specialty shops, 12%

Source: The AIA 1999 Car Maintenance in Canada Report produced by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.