Toronto, Ontario — Last week, Uni-Select took the stage at AAPEX in Las Vegas to announce a new banner program available to Canadian repairers in 2020. The new Bumper to Bumper program, catering to independent repair facilities across Canada, will be designed to promote customer loyalty and service providers in their local communities.
The brand’s announcement prompted a question in Canada’s collision repair community—is there room for another banner in the sector?
Most respondents voiced their concerns on banner programs reintroducing unfriendly competition into the industry. Only 18.4 percent of Collision Repair’s respondents welcomed a new banner program with open arms, while a whopping 81.6 percent disagreed.
“Having too many banner programs puts us back in the ‘too many shops’ situation, cutting rates and increasing the competition,” said one respondent. “It is not good for the industry’s future.”
“Another banner will only propel the price penetration marketing techniques that unfortunately will suppress already low labour rates,” another responded. “The collision margins are already under significant pressure as experienced technicians are in short supply.”
One thing respondents agreed upon was banner benefits. More than 60 percent said they believed banners provided better business guidance, as well as improved external relations. “The national ones surely provide better business guidance,” said one respondent.
