There has been a lot written recently about quality issues with products manufactured in China. While I’m not going to rehash the history of those problems, it did prompt us to have our Babcox Research department survey repair shop owners and managers to see if it has had any impact on the way automotive parts are viewed. The following are the results from 195 respondents to an e-mail survey conducted in September.

When buying a product from a jobber or WD, what is more important — the country of origin or the brand name?



Given the recent issues with consumer products made in China, has it made you think twice about the country of origin of the automotive parts you install?

Are you more or less interested in installing auto parts that are “Made in America” compared to this time last year? (No one replied “less interested”)



Are you willing to pay a premium for automotive parts that are made in America?

I’m sure your customers are more interested than ever in the quality of everything they buy today — from food to toys to automotive service. After seeing these results, I hope this will remind you to communicate to your customers the quality of the brands and parts that you use on their vehicles.