Lang Aftermarket iReport: Changing motivations drive DIY sales spike

“Lang Marketing tracks the leading motivations that drive Do-It-Yourself (DIY) automotive work. This Lang iReport focuses on DIY automotive repair and maintenance. DIY vehicle modification (which has its own set of motivations) is not included in this analysis.”

“Two factors are the primary motivators driving the increase in 2020 Do-It-Yourself sales as a share of light vehicle aftermarket product volume in the months following the outbreak of Covid-19 across the U.S.”

Four Major DIY Motivations

DIY light vehicle automotive work is driven by four primary motivations: Saving Money, Convenience, Job Done Right, and Enjoyment. This analysis focuses on vehicle repair and does not include vehicle modification, which is driven its own set of DIY motivational factors.

Making Sure the Job is Done Right Slips to Third

Nearly one-fifth of Do-It-Yourselfers, 18%, conduct automotive repair because they know that the Job is Done Right

This indicates that some Do-It-Yourselfers lack confidence in mechanics, believing that they do not always perform a complete or correct job.

Enjoyment Falls to Fourth Place

Although Enjoyment edged out Convenience several years ago as a motivation for performing car and light truck DIY jobs, it has recently been surpassed by Convenience (which surged this year to second place) and now occupies the fourth spot, at 10%, among major factors motivating DIYers.

Although they represent a smaller portion of DIYers than the top three motivations, enthusiasts (who enjoy automotive DIY work) account for a larger share of automotive purchases than might be expected because of the number and size of jobs that they perform (especially in terms of accessories).

Enjoyment is much more important as a motivational factor to consumers who modify their vehicles than to consumers doing automotive repair.

Evolving DIY Market

The strength of factors motivating automotive DIYers has been shifting over recent years, as the consumer age profile continues to change and economic conditions ebb and flow.

Overlay these forces with the dramatic and abrupt impact of Covid-19 on American life and it is easy to see how changes in why consumers repair their vehicles and the volume of DIY work that they do have become supercharged, at least over the last five months or so.

Saving Money has continued to increase in importance over the past five years as the strongest factor motivating Do-It-Yourselfer to repair their vehicles.

Convenience has surged in significance during 2020 as a factor driving automotive DIYers.

Job Done Right slipped from second to third place in 2020 as a primary motivation among automotive DIYers that repair their vehicles.

Enjoyment has declined in significance as a motivation for DIY automotive repair, recently surpassed by Convenience.

DIY Repair in 2020

DIYers are conducting a larger share of overall light vehicle repair since the onslaught of Covid-19 and the resulting lockdowns across many areas of the U.S. that began in March.

While much of this DIY repair spike is being motivated by Saving Money, given the economic uncertainty and high unemployment rates generated by Covid-19 and the resulting shutdowns, Convenience has risen sharply as a factor motivating DIYers to conduct their own vehicle repair. This is especially so in its broader sense pertaining to social distancing, waiting room stress, and the increased time that many have to take on DIY jobs.

Copyright 2020 by Lang Marketing Resources, Inc.

NOTE: Special thanks to publisher Jim Lang for granting us permission to publish the Lang Aftermarket iReport.