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 behaviour, 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,” says Aubrey Amborn, General Manager of Sales, Net Driven.

What 5,000+ Shops Are Saying

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,” says Kam Butcher, General Manager at 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. Get your free copy here.

About Net Driven

For nearly 20 years, Net Driven has been the trusted digital partner built specifically for independent tire, service, and aftermarket shops. Net Driven serves 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. Net Driven gives 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, Net Driven’s platform connects the full customer journey and gives shop owners the clarity to know what’s working and where to focus next.
Net Driven brings customers to the shop and connects the systems that help owners grow it.
www.netdriven.com