Over half of auto repair shops on certain street closed, future 30% of 400,000 repair shops may shut down, what is the way out for auto repair workers?

Since the beginning of this year, walking into any auto parts market in a city, you can almost see a similar scene: few vehicles inside, shops are deserted, and owners and employees are either looking down at their phones or sitting together playing games. When asked about the business situation, the response is often a helpless "business is tough, there are no customers."

"The shelves are piled with filters stocked up during last year's end-of-year ordering meeting, and now they are hard to sell even with a 30% price reduction," a store owner with nearly twenty years of experience said with a wry smile, adding that the inventory pressure is immense and cash flow is increasingly difficult.

As the demand for new energy vehicle parts rapidly increases, this field presents a high technical threshold and complex certification requirements, deterring many traditional small businesses. The business owner admitted that due to his age, learning new knowledge is quite challenging, and "having the will but not the strength" has become the biggest obstacle on the path to transformation.

Under the pressure of reality, more and more practitioners are forced to transform or even exit the industry. On a certain car repair street in Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, more than half of the dozens of shops on both sides of the road have closed down, and several shops still in operation have posted "for transfer" notices. The sign "Car Wash 25 Yuan" on the storefront is already faded and unclear. According to industry association statistics, about 30% of the approximately 400,000 repair shops nationwide are considering shutting down or switching industries.

Standing at the crossroads of the industry, many people feel confused: which direction should they take next? Where exactly does the future path lie...

01. Why Did a High-Paid Manager "Lose the Battle of Mai City" in Three Months? The Pain of Reform in the Auto Repair Shop

Two years ago, a nearby business owner, Mr. Li, attempted to renovate his own repair shop by adopting the standardized operational model of chain stores. He introduced daily learning and regular assessment mechanisms, and implemented standardized vehicle reception and construction processes, aiming to enhance service professionalism and build a reputable brand image.

To this end, he also hired a chain store manager at a high salary to manage the reform. After taking office, the manager first implemented performance reforms, changing the original salary system to a skill-based salary plus performance evaluation. However, this was met with resistance from older employees and dissatisfaction from new employees.

After less than three months of implementation, the most skilled master in the factory left with two apprentices, frequent internal conflicts occurred within the team, and eventually the store manager was forced to resign, leading to the failure of the reform.

Boss Li reflected that the failure to effectively unify employees' thoughts and ensure income expectations, coupled with his own lack of management experience, led to the team falling apart. "Looking back now, it still feels heartbreaking."

At the initial stage of the new store opening, I also adopted traditional promotional methods, imitating others by printing DM flyers and distributing them widely within a three-kilometer radius.

Despite investing thousands of yuan and mobilizing employees to distribute them in their spare time, the actual number of customers visiting the store with vouchers was very few. Additionally, there were frequent complaints from property management and sanitation departments, which greatly dampened the team's enthusiasm.

Upon further analysis, it was found that instead of "casting a wide net," it was better to "target precisely." Subsequently, the strategy was adjusted to collaborate with community property management to conduct targeted gift-giving activities and directly connect with car owners at the community entrance by adding them on WeChat, which gradually yielded results. It can be said that if the promotional approach hadn't been adjusted in time, the store might have struggled to survive its initial phase.

Currently, many voices advocate that auto repair shops should actively embrace new marketing methods such as TikTok, group buying, and live streaming. However, for traditional operators, effectively entering and sustaining operations in these areas is a major challenge.

A businessman surnamed Zhang stated that although he has gone out to learn multiple times and is willing to try, he always loses interest quickly. When business gets busy, he has no time to attend to it, resulting in a failure to achieve effective transformation and being stuck in a cycle of repeated attempts without results.

Due to a lack of systematic understanding and practical skills, many business operators often engage in so-called "reforms" that remain superficial imitations, failing to grasp the core logic. In the rapidly changing market environment, coupled with tight human resources and a mix of internal and external uncertainties, many stores struggle to survive in confusion.

02. The Ordeal of Traditional Auto Repair Workers Amidst the New Energy Wave

A recent survey report on the employment status of auto service shops in 2025 indicates that the current workforce in the automotive repair industry is still predominantly composed of individuals born in the 1980s and 1990s, accounting for about 80%. In contrast, the proportion of employees born in the 2000s is significantly lower, highlighting a noticeable lack of appeal to the younger generation within the industry.

At the same time, due to the ripple effects of production cuts, store closures, and layoffs by upstream manufacturers and dealers, many workers who had been engaged in the automotive service industry since graduation have been forced to leave their positions and join the ranks of the unemployed. Additionally, some employees still in their jobs are facing anxiety about job instability, leading to a general decline in employment confidence across the industry.

In this context, a seemingly contradictory phenomenon has emerged: terminal automotive service stores generally report a "talent gap," while on the other hand, there is a continuous wave of layoffs within the industry. Among those affected, many experienced frontline technical personnel have not received due recognition for their value, and some technical service elites in their prime career period have been marginalized or even eliminated during structural adjustments.

It can be said that it is not the individual's lack of ability, but rather the rapid pace of industry transformation that makes it difficult for some practitioners to adapt.

Since 2004, Lao Jia has been learning car repair. Now 38 years old, he has been serving as a technical supervisor at a car repair shop run by relatives for nearly six years. Recently, however, he has been feeling depressed, having submitted his resignation three times in a week, expressing that he feels numb and exhausted with his work, lacks motivation, and is very confused about his future direction.

To retain Lao Jia, the boss specifically invited several industry friends to discuss together. After a few drinks, the usually silent Lao Jia finally expressed his feelings: although his monthly salary of over 6,000 yuan seems stable and the job is close to home, the expenses of raising two children, daily living costs, mortgage and car loans, and social obligations make it almost impossible for him to save money.

In recent years, the volume of business within the factory has continued to decline, with a reduction in large-scale maintenance projects. Most services are quick repair and maintenance types with lower output value, making it difficult to ask for a salary increase. The team I lead experiences frequent personnel turnover, construction accidents occur from time to time, and the management pressure is high.

In addition, the work is complex, requiring vehicle repairs, customer reception, and product promotion, while also dealing with frequent training, learning, and new performance evaluation systems. Overall, it feels very restrictive, leaving one physically and mentally exhausted.

Moreover, facing the trend of the increasing share of new energy vehicles, there is a lack of relevant skill reserves, leading to concerns about career prospects and fears of having nowhere to go once the fuel vehicle business shrinks in the future. The intertwining pressures have given rise to the intention to leave.

Lao Jia's candidness revealed the common predicament faced by many peers present, and the discussion continued late into the night. Ultimately, Lao Jia stated that he would return to his post. Although the reality is difficult to change quickly, he will still persist in moving forward.

Even though the current predicament exhausts the practitioners physically and mentally, they still wake up the next day, ready to move forward as a resilient member of the automotive aftermarket.

03. When Passion Can't Withstand Harsh Reality: The Departure and Reconstruction of Auto Repair Workers

When I first met Manager Zhu, he was the star manager of a car service chain brand in Zhengzhou. He was considered a benchmark in store operations, team management, customer service, and revenue enhancement. Just as everyone was optimistic about his promising future, he suddenly decided to leave the industry, leaving many peers puzzled.

By this May, he had become "Director Zhu" and brought the head of the company's fleet to the author's store to sign a fixed-point vehicle service contract, only then revealing the helplessness behind his decision to leave back then.

That year, Store Manager Zhu was discussing marriage with his girlfriend of six years. Her parents explicitly stated that he must have a house and a car in Zhengzhou, and prepare the bride price; otherwise, the marriage would be off the table.

"I suffered from insomnia all night at that time. With the income of a store manager back then, it would take ten years to save up that amount even if I didn't eat or drink. If I wanted to start a business, there was no way to gather the initial capital. You could say I didn't even have the qualifications to get married," Manager Zhu recalled. Despite the willingness of his parents and relatives to support him, he was determined to rely on himself to achieve the life he dreamed of.

Staying in the automotive service industry may ensure a basic living, but relying on experience to accumulate funds or to open a shop independently in the future would take a long time with uncertain results, while marriage waits for no one.

Thus, he was forced to leave the automotive service industry and move to Beijing to pursue a career in the power-related sector. Although the beginning was difficult, his willingness to work hard, combined with the industry's upward trend, led him to accumulate a considerable income in less than three years, establish a family, and become a leader among his peers.

"If I hadn't changed careers back then, I might just be one of the many auto repair shop owners struggling in the industry's cutthroat competition," Mr. Zhu admitted, his eyes revealing complex emotions. "I truly love the auto service industry, but in the end, I had to bow to reality. It's hard to make a living with the work I love, and the career that supports my family is difficult to find solace in."

Despite having a successful career now, he still works diligently and cautiously every day, worried about being laid off by the company while being unsatisfied with the status quo and eager for a breakthrough, always in pursuit of his self-worth.

Similar structural dilemmas are also reflected in Manager Sun. As the regional head of a national chain platform, he joined the team at the platform's inception, contributing a lot and gaining growth. After being transferred back to his hometown for work two years ago, he thought everything would improve. However, due to the impact of the industry upstream and downstream, the company started cost-reduction and efficiency-increasing measures last year, reducing staff and streamlining the team, creating a tense atmosphere.

Manager Sun has to deal with supply assurance coordination with suppliers, sales targets set by the company, maintaining team service capabilities, and multi-party negotiations with clients every day, which is very stressful.

Despite often motivating himself with the phrase "The things I like are all expensive," taking on the workload of three to four people and barely taking any days off throughout the year, he still struggled to meet expected performance in recent years. Faced with customer complaints, low team morale, and leadership's helplessness, he admitted that he was almost "lying flat," yet was unwilling to be phased out, feeling a deep inner conflict.

Whether it's the auto repair workers holding the front line, former auto service personnel who have switched careers for practical reasons, or professional managers constantly pushing their limits for survival, many practitioners in the current automotive service industry rarely receive flowers and applause. Instead, they struggle to make a living in an environment lacking status, security, and recognition of value. The hardships can only be self-healed, and the road ahead still awaits the dawn.

There are no hopeless markets, only rigid thinking.

In summary, the intention is not to highlight a privileged situation, but rather to gather the shared experiences and snapshots of professionals from the '80s and '90s, to evoke resonance and mutual encouragement, and to go further on the path of pursuing career value.

As seasoned professionals in the industry gradually leave, a gap in talent structure emerges, and the willingness of the younger generation to enter the field diminishes, our generation has become the backbone supporting the industry. Even though the overall environment still faces a cold wave, warmth and hope always exist.

The core of operating an auto repair shop is to focus on the real needs of current car owners and their vehicles, take proactive actions, and clarify the differentiated value of your services.

For peers employed by a company or platform, it is necessary to construct a personal capability matrix in order to establish an advantage in the value competition of cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.

At the same time, the gap in new energy services urgently needs to be filled. Those who prepare in advance and accumulate capabilities will surely stand out when the demand explodes.

The reshuffling of the industry has become inevitable. Professional institutions predict that although the automotive aftermarket will expand to 800 billion yuan by 2025, 20% of the companies within it will face elimination.

In this elimination round, practitioners' mindsets are polarized: pessimists lament that the golden age is over and strive to break even, while optimists actively seek change, continue learning, and look for new opportunities in ongoing growth.

Since the beginning of the year, the intertwining of coldness and warm currents, along with the anxiety, struggle, and innovation of industry practitioners, have collectively sketched the diverse aspects of industry transformation. As the founder of a certain chain brand said, "There is no hopeless market, only rigid thinking. Surviving is not the end, but the starting point of new competition."

For individuals, only by using expertise to counteract involution, penetrating the fog with value, and breaking boundaries with capability, can one navigate through cycles and welcome true recovery.