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. | 
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