The Franchise Magazine:
In March ChipsAway passed on 9,000 leads to its franchisees and reported its best ever month for customer leads. The SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) automotive paintwork repair specialist has generated approaching 20,000 business leads for its network in the first quarter of this year, which is up by nearly 60 per cent on like for like figures in 2008.
Lloyd Evans, Chief Executive of ChipsAway, says: “Despite predictions of doom and gloom, demand for our services is currently going through the roof. We believe this is partly due to the effects of the credit crunch. Our franchisees are telling us that motorists seem to be investing in repairing existing vehicles, either with a view to keeping them on the road for longer or to sell them for a better price in order to take advantage of some of the great deals around on new cars. SMART repair technology keeps a car looking good for longer, extends its life and maintains its value – our customers recognise this and our franchisees are feeling the benefit.”
Franchisees around the country have confirmed that business is booming, regardless of recession in other marketplaces.
Carrie Blenkinsop, a Coventry-based ChipsAway franchisee, says: “We’re experiencing a ‘mini boom’. In ten years, we have never been so busy. It’s weird considering the current market but demand for our services is crazy at present, particularly on used cars.”
