Dealerships continued to lose ground to jobbers, WDs and retailers as the main source for oxygen sensors in 2010.

According to Counterman magazine’s 2010 Professional Automotive Repair Technician Survey (P.A.R.T.S.), shops perform roughly five jobs per month requiring oxygen sensors and 14 percent keep this part in stock. When it comes time to re-order, shops rely on an average of 2.7 sources for oxygen sensors, with jobbers being the “first call” for 48 percent of shops surveyed.

Brand loyalty gained another percentage point from 2009 to 2010, and according to Babcox Research, availability of oxygen sensors is becoming more important to technicians as well.

These and other statistics can be found in P.A.R.T.S., produced annually by Counterman magazine. Ten years ago, Counterman began surveying repair shops annually to determine when, how and why they source specific automotive parts and products. The resulting data, published every fall, offers perspective on how sourcing and brand-loyalty trends have changed.