February 2021

BY Nick Taylor, Head of Network & Business Development at Eurorepar Car Service (ERCS) 2 020 was a year that no one will forget. Very few sectors made it through the year unscathed, and most of those that survived have been changed forever. The automotive aftermarket is no exception. Garages have had to adapt to new ways of working, with social distancing on-site, rigorous sanitisation and an upsurge in online bookings becoming part and parcel of day- to-day life. It wouldn’t be overstating it to say that COVID-19 has likely changed the world of business and commerce for ever. However, as we turn our attention to a new year, cautious optimism should be the name of the game. With that in mind, what does 2021 hold in store for independent garages? We are living in a digital world For all the difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has expedited certain ways of doing business and ushered out old-school practices. The pandemic has also thrust new degrees of computer literacy on many consumers, exposing them to a brave new world of online commerce and service provision. 2020 saw a huge surge in the number of consumers, across all age groups, shopping for products and services online. Furthermore, the first port of call for many people when scoping out a particular service has become social media and online reviews. Many will argue that word of mouth still holds sway in the motor trade, and to some extent it does, but now word of mouth can spread like wildfire on Facebook groups and the myriad work provision platforms on the web. This changing landscape certainly poses a challenge to garages, but those that meet these challenges head-on will be in a strong position to thrive in the digital world. At ERCS, our view on this is simple; Those garages that intensify their focus on building their online presence will reap the most rewards. What does building your online presence mean in practice? It means doing an honest appraisal of your website and deciding whether it’s still fit for purpose. When was it built? Is it outdated? Is it mobile and tablet- friendly? It means having a presence on relevant social media platforms – especially Facebook, where reviews and recommendations are key. It may also mean having a profile on a reliable work provision platform, but I’ll keep the lid on that particular can of worms for now! Electrification, for the nation The mainstream media has been devoting endless column inches to electrification for years now. Similarly, open any trade publication since about 2015 and it will likely include at least one hard-hitting editorial about how the aftermarket needs to prepare for electric vehicles. In other words, the fact that electric vehicles are going to become more commonplace in dealerships and, later, in the aftermarket, should not be news to anybody in the trade. However, the government’s latest announcement – you know, the one that said sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from 2030 – will surely accelerate the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles between now and the 2030 deadline. As a result, this new wave of technology will presumably enter the aftermarket faster than expected. This is no cause for panic. The aftermarket has proved time and time again that 16 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2021 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net 2021: A YEAR FOR CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM Aftermarket hears from Eurorepar’s Nick Taylor, as he looks at what 2021 has in store for the motor trade