BERNER Industry Barometer: Full order books ensure good mood in the motor vehicle workshop

Doldrums? No way! Europe's garages are really busy. The full order books are lifting the mood in the car trade. And they are doing so strongly, as the current industry barometer from the BERNER Group shows. The B2B trading company surveyed a total of 1,319 decision-makers from Germany, Austria, France and Italy. Boosted by a first half-year that went much better than automotive professionals had expected, the business climate index climbed to an all-time high in all markets surveyed. Future expectations are also much more optimistic than they were 12 months ago.

In the last BERNER industry barometer, an average of around 20 percent of the passenger car businesses surveyed expected weaker workshop utilisation in the first half of the calendar year. Scepticism was particularly high in Austria (30 percent) and Germany (26 percent). In the latest survey, however, only 12 percent said that their fears had come true (Austria 15 percent, Germany 13 percent). Instead, more than 27 percent were happy about a higher or even much higher occupancy rate. The absolute leader in the index is Italy. Here, 45 percent of the motor vehicle professionals stated that the workshop business in the first half of the year was significantly better than expected. For comparison: In Germany, every fourth company confirmed this, in Austria every sixth.

Highs exceeded
"Since the turn of the year, the industry barometer has shown a noticeably positive trend in all of the countries we surveyed," reports Florian Sommer, responsible for the Mobility segment at BERNER Group. "The upward trend has continued throughout the survey period. In Germany, Austria and Italy, the business climate index has even exceeded the previous highs. The market is thus defying a general slight decline in mileage."
The BERNER expert sees another reason for the positive mood in the declining pressure on the new car business: "This only indirectly affects the capacity utilisation of the workshops. But if the general mood in the dealership is more relaxed due to more new registrations, this can of course also have a positive effect on the service team. Especially in the authorised workshop, experience shows that new registrations ensure access to the lucrative service business for the next three to four years.

Optimistic look ahead
The strong tailwind makes the passenger car companies correspondingly confident about the rest of the year. Around 35 percent believe that sales will increase in the coming months (previous period 27 percent). Only just under 13 percent expect a slowdown (previous period 20 percent). People are particularly optimistic in Italy, where a whopping 62 percent of motor vehicle professionals are hoping for even more orders. "In contrast to the other markets, mileage in Italy is stable at a high level," explains Florian Sommer. "In addition, the cars are older on average. Both factors certainly contribute to the very good mood. Because with increasing mileage, the need for maintenance, inspections and repairs in the workshops also increases automatically."

Additional business via the windscreen wiper system tank
Although the order situation is good, workshop operators should not fail to take advantage of additional business potential. Florian Sommer explains how easy it is to do this using the "Cleanstar Magic" product from BERNER as an example. The smart chemical all-in-one innovation cleans and seals the windscreen with every spray. "The solution is ideal for autumn and winter in particular, as it includes frost protection of up to -15 degrees Celsius and has a long-lasting, water-repellent effect," Sommer emphasises. "The lotus effect guarantees a clear view of the road at all times, even during heavy downpours. This increases road safety and makes for a more pleasant driving experience even in the most difficult conditions."
Compared to the classic, multi-stage cleaning and sealing process, the labour and material costs are estimated to be up to six times cheaper with "Cleanstar Magic". "Instead of replacing commercially available washing water, the workshop can thus offer its customers an inexpensive alternative with added value when taking delivery of the vehicle," Florian Sommer emphasises. This leads to more profit - and happy customers who like to come back.  

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