Net Driven Releases The State of the Shop: 2026, A Playbook for Winning More Car Count
Real data from 5,000+ shops that shows what's working, what's leaking, and how to fix it.
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Net Driven, the digital partner built for independent tire, service, and aftermarket shops, released The State of the Shop: 2026. The report was built for independent shop owners who want to know how shifting driver behavior, AI-powered search, and rising cost pressure are reshaping the path from search to scheduled appointment.
Grounded in observed behavior across more than 5,000 shops, direct input from owners, and real conversations with industry experts, it gives shop owners a clear, honest baseline for what "good" looks like in 2026.
"We see a lot of shops wrestling with the same thing: how to get found online, how to stretch their marketing budget, how to keep up with multiple software systems all at once. The shops that pull ahead in 2026 won't necessarily be the biggest or the most established. They'll be the ones that consolidate and automate the right systems so they can stop spending so much time working on their shop and get back to working in it."
— Aubrey Amborn, General Manager of Sales, Net Driven
What 5,000+ Shops Are Telling Us
The Path to Your Bay Has More Turns Than It Used To. Drivers bounce between Google, reviews, your website, a quick price check, and "can you get me in today?" They circle back multiple times before they ever call. The path to your bay isn't a straight line anymore. It's a loop, and most shops are losing customers somewhere in it. The report shows exactly where those handoffs break down and what the best shops are doing to fix them.
Google's AI Is Picking Shops Before Drivers Do. AI Overviews now summarize reviews, surface estimated repair costs, and recommend shops before a driver ever clicks. If your listings are inconsistent or your reviews are thin, you might be filtered out before the conversation even starts. The report shows exactly what it takes to make sure you're one of the shops Google recommends, not one of the ones it skips.
Your Customers Are Shopping While You're Closed. More than 54% of driver research happens outside standard business hours. The report outlines practical ways shops can "show up open" without staffing overnight, from online quoting to AI-assisted chat.
Drivers Want the Number Before the Phone Call. With 63% of consumers citing the exact repair cost as their top decision factor, and 71% preferring an online quote to a phone quote, the report examines how online quoting is reshaping the first conversation between the shop and the customer.
"I was super hesitant about putting pricing online. But if you don't move with the times, you're missing it. If it gets them in the door, I know I can have a good conversation."
— Kam Butcher, General Manager, Lynn Wood Service Center
Your Ad Dollars Are Buying Less Bay Time. Cost-per-click rose 10.2% by the end of 2025, while conversion rates softened. The report outlines what shops should track beyond clicks alone.
The 2026 Strategy Playbook. A stage-by-stage breakdown of what solid execution looks like, from first search to repeat customer, plus a pass/fail checklist you can run with your team today.
Grab Your Copy of the Report
The State of the Shop: 2026 is available now as a free download for tire, service, and aftermarket shop owners and operators.
Media Contact
Hayley Hollen | Head of Brand & Client Marketing
Net Driven, a LeadVenture brand
C: 971-275-5543 | [email protected]
About Net Driven
For nearly 20 years, Net Driven has been the trusted digital partner built specifically for independent tire, service, and aftermarket shops. We serve 5,000+ shops across North America, partnering with the industry's leading suppliers, co-op programs, and shop management systems to deliver connected solutions tailored to the unique demands of each shop we work with.
In a market where drivers have more choices and less patience, the shops that win are not the ones with the biggest budgets; they are the ones whose systems work better together. We give shop owners the website, marketing reach, online quoting, automated follow-up, and business clarity to get found, fill bays, and keep drivers coming back.
From getting found to getting booked to bringing customers back, our platform connects the full customer journey and gives shop owners the clarity to know what's working and where to focus next. We believe every independent shop deserves a partner who understands how they operate, and we've spent nearly two decades building toward exactly that.
We bring customers to the shop and connect the systems that help owners grow it.
www.netdriven.com
SOURCE Net Driven
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