This mirrored the findings about the principal hurdles encountered in 2023, where 53% of businesses had witnessed customers avoid bringing their car in, so as to reduce the level of spend on their vehicles due to the widely-reported cost of living crisis. Echoing the difficulty with recruiting additional technicians by 56% of repairers when questioned about the main factors that put them to the test last year, a greater proportion (58%) expressed the same concern when looking ahead to the next 12 months in 2024, as qualified and skilled mechanics remain an increasingly sought-after resource in the labour market.