The current status of the consumer electronics repair industry in the U.S.: A survey-based study

Abstract

Consumer electronics are turning into consumable devices nowadays, and consumers generally show little inclination to repair broken products due to the lack of repair infrastructures and relative high repair costs. On the other hand, technical, operational, and economic barriers impede the growth of repair businesses. In this paper, we provide a look into the repair industry through an analysis of a survey conducted by a third-party repair service provider. 2170 repair technicians have participated in a survey consisting of 23 questions about repair challenges in their profession. At first, we take a look at the economic barriers that dissuade consumers from repairing products. Next, a demand-based repair service pricing framework is introduced. The optimal pricing levels are found based on the consumers’ repair demand. Finally, other aspects of repair businesses, e.g. repairability degree of consumer electronics and consumer expectations of repair services, are thoroughly investigated. As an example of findings, different types of consumer electronics are clustered based on the associated repair difficulties. Moreover, some insights are provided to promote the repair businesses.