Roy Morgan Research
September 23, 2019

Supercheap Auto, Repco and Autobarn in tight race for annual satisfaction award

Topic: Customer Satisfaction, Press Release
Finding No: 8139
RMR Logo

Roy Morgan has released its latest customer satisfaction data which shows Supercheap Auto is the winner of the Auto Store of the Month Award for August 2019, with a customer satisfaction rating of 88%. The three leading auto stores Supercheap Auto, Repco and Autobarn all remain well in contention to win the annual award for 2019.

Only 3% points separated the top three contenders with Supercheap Auto’s August customer satisfaction rating of 88% just ahead of Repco (86%) and Autobarn (85%).

These new customer satisfaction ratings have been obtained from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, derived from in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year in their homes.

The satisfaction ratings of auto stores are particularly stable when compared to other industries. If we compare current ratings with those from August 2017, we see that all three auto stores have only moderately increased their ratings (+3%).

The award for Auto Store of the Year is perhaps the most contested category in all of the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards. Currently, both Supercheap Auto and Repco have secured three monthly awards each, with Autobarn having won two.

While the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards highlight satisfaction ratings only, there is far more in-depth data available. Roy Morgan tracks customer satisfaction, engagement, loyalty, advocacy and NPS® across a wide range of industries and brands. This data can be analysed by month for your brand and importantly your competitive set. Detailed data and analysis of Australia’s leading auto stores is included in the Roy Morgan Auto Stores Customer Satisfaction Report.

Leading Auto Store Customer Satisfaction Ratings

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, Sep. 2016 – Aug. 2017, n = 1,972. Sep. 2017 – Aug. 2018, n= 2,127. Sep. 2018 – Aug. 2019, n = 1,927. Base: Australians aged 14+ who purchased from an auto store in the past four weeks.

Roy Morgan data can tell us who Supercheap Auto customers are and how they live

If we were to explore the quintessential Supercheap Auto customer, we would find he’s likely be a man aged between 35-64 who lives in either New South Wales or Queensland. His average income is just over $50,000, and he’s far more likely than the average Australian to hold an occupation as a skilled worker.

The typical customer of Supercheap Auto would likely belong to the Traditional Family Life or Visible Achievement Roy Morgan Value Segments. These segments provide key information about who these people are and what they want from life. One commonality between both groups is their traditional values regarding work, family and society.

Supercheap Auto customers like to relax in front of the television. You’ll often find them watching sport (car racing and NRL are their favourites) or even some Reality TV. Although they aren’t very keen on anything Sci-Fi.

They also appear to be a busy bunch, as compared to the average Australian they have less time for breakfast, and are more likely to buy takeaway food or frozen meals to eat at home.

Supercheap Auto customers are also conscious of the money they spend. Over half will go out of their way to search for a bargain, and over three-quarters believe that expensive restaurants aren’t worth the money.

Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says:

Block Quote

“Auto retailers in Australia these days are making it far easier for consumers to take a more hands-on approach with maintaining and even repairing their vehicles. Not simply a place to buy a refill of car oil, auto stores are allowing consumers to take on tasks once only left to a mechanic.

“With a history that extends back to 1972, Supercheap Auto has become a household name in Australia as one of the go-to places for all things car related. Its ongoing success has even enabled it to provide support to Australia’s premier car race, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

“With only three major auto store retailers in the market, competition is limited. Combined with the fact that auto store satisfaction ratings remain in the eighties, there is an opportunity for all auto stores, or perhaps new ones, to improve their services and become a more dominant player in the market.

“The Roy Morgan Auto Store of the Year Award is likely to be the most hotly contested annual award category in 2019. Despite there being only four remaining monthly awards for this year, all three auto retailers are in position to win.”

For comments or more information please contact:
Roy Morgan - Enquiries
Office: +61 (03) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com

Margin of Error

The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.

Sample Size Percentage Estimate
40% – 60% 25% or 75% 10% or 90% 5% or 95%
1,000 ±3.0 ±2.7 ±1.9 ±1.3
5,000 ±1.4 ±1.2 ±0.8 ±0.6
7,500 ±1.1 ±1.0 ±0.7 ±0.5
10,000 ±1.0 ±0.9 ±0.6 ±0.4
20,000 ±0.7 ±0.6 ±0.4 ±0.3
50,000 ±0.4 ±0.4 ±0.3 ±0.2

Related Findings

Back to topBack To Top Arrow