Refueling On Value Through Cosmetics

Maaco of Vancouver grows by watching consumer trend

BY J. MAURY HARRIS for the VBJ

Hefty bailouts and a barrage of incentive programs signaled turmoil for the American automotive industry in 2008, but jumpstarted a shift in consumer behavior.

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Maaco of Vancouver owner, Glenn Miller,
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Customer service, along with product and pricing flexibility have helped Glenn Miller, Maaco of Vancouver owner, grow year over year while
other businesses were struggling to make their numbers. said the combination of gas prices spiking and the bottom falling out on credit markets made consumers adopt a new philosophy concerning their old cars- they began refurbishing them.

"Today, people are hesitant to trade in their cars or purchase new cars, but they're not hesitant to fix up and maintain the cars that they have," Miller said.

And with Maaco of Vancouver specializing in automotive cosmetics for everyday drivers and commercial fleets, Miller and his staff are ready to assist. 

"There's some horsepower in this recovery," Miller said. "Our sales are up almost 17 percent this year to date in comparison to 2009, and that's a pretty good accomplishment in this economy."
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He recognized this trend as more fuel-efficient used cars passed through his bays. It's what allowed the store - which averages sales around a million dollars every year - to post a one percent increase from 2008 to 2009, while other businesses were struggling just to break even.  According to Miller, one of  Maaco's greatest strengths in this trend is their lack of direct competition. He says there are a lot of other shops offering paint and body repair services, but none offer the amount of options Maaco boasts.

The original core of Maaco's business revolved around auto painting, and specifically their "whole car" paint services that offer four grades of finishes at increasing price points. According to Miller, most other shops only offer spot painting services at best but Maaco offers both.

"We see cars on a regular basis with 200 to 300 thousand miles on them that are still in decent shape," he said. "There's a sweet spot, between five and 15-years-old, where it really makes sense to repaint a car and get a few more years out of it."

An added bonus at Maaco of Vancouver is that the 33-year-old location has always augmented their paint services with a full range of bodywork, from minor dents to light collision repair.

"We have our $99 basic paint job and it runs all the way up to our state-of-the-art, original equipment finish," he said. 

This flexibility is one reason Jay Clemens is a repeat client. "I would say that their biggest strength lies in the quality of work and exceptional pricing," Clemens said. "When you work with them you can have everything restored to factory specs, but they'll also give you alternatives to save you money."

Over 70 percent of Miller's business comes from repeat customers like Clemens. And while the brand name helps, Miller points to Maaco's model of addressing specific customer needs. He said it provided stability even when the economy was collapsing and most businesses saw 17 to 30 percent declines.

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