Tariffs, Inflation, and the Changing Automotive Landscape

In this episode, a sneak preview of his lunchtime keynote for the 2025 Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference, Rob Pietrowski, VP Research at IMR/Endeavor Business Intelligence, reveals shocking inflation data that's reshaping the automotive aftermarket: vehicle costs are up 57% since 2019, annual maintenance and repair spending has jumped 50%, and the ripple effects are hitting every level of the industry, based on 500 consumer surveys monthly and another 500 to 1,000 for custom research projects. Pietrowski's data also shows shop owners' priorities have shifted dramatically from focusing on new technology and EV training to fundamental survival tactics like keeping prices down and traffic flowing. He discusses how rising costs are being passed through the supply chain, the changing perceptions of trade careers as four-year college costs skyrocket, and why shops must adapt to constant rapid change spanning everything from COVID protocols to new administrative policies and tariffs.