Franchised automotive: what to expect from one of the most stable sectors in the market

Madrid, August 27, 2025

The automotive and repairs sector in Spain is one of the safest and most stable in the market and maintains a broad, professionalized base: in 2023, specialized workshops reached €15,553 M in revenue, with a total of 46,426 centers and 142,649 direct jobs.

Among the most implemented practices, corporate, mixed and predominantly franchised models coexist: Euromaster exceeds €430 M in revenue in Spain, with a capillarity based on owned and associated centers; Norauto is around €240 M and stands out for its omnichannel lever; Carglass, with a more corporate model, is around €227 M, and is the leader in windshields and recalibration after replacement and Feu Vert stands at around €139 M with a focus on quick services and tires.

Midas, with €82 M in annual revenue, operates mainly under franchise with urban convenience formats, as does First Stop, with around 469 centers in Spain.

For the investor and franchisee, the reading seems clear: the brand, the level of scale and technological implementation are the levers that sustain not only the average ticket, but also recurrence and profit margin.

In recent years, new business formats have gained weight under the umbrella of proximity, convenience and digital: the “light” urban workshop, which optimizes bay footprint and turnover, mobile/on-site service for fleets, leasing and car rental (RAC), which increases average revenue per user, or at-home intervention, which consolidates the “no travel required” proposal.

Real omnichannel, through digital acquisition, smart appointment scheduling, or online service sales, has stopped being a “nice to have.” New niches are emerging such as micromobility or pick-up & delivery models, in addition to memberships or maintenance subscriptions that smooth out seasonality.

However, despite this positive evolving trend, all these challenges require investment and focus. This, combined with the shortage of technical talent and high energy and material costs, forces close monitoring of margins.

According to experts, the aftermarket and spare parts market will continue to grow moderately and will deliver a stable 2025. The cycle will favor those brands that operate under the franchise model, provided they manage to boost one or several of these activations:

• Certify Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and advanced diagnostics.
• Activate B2B channels (fleets, leasing, insurers) with packaged rates.
• Implement memberships and pick-up & delivery systems.
• Talent programs: technician school, career paths and productivity-based variable pay.
• Conversion of independents: bringing independent workshops into the network with support in purchasing, marketing and technology.

In summary, betting on a scale-specialization pairing: networks capable of combining proximity, technology and B2B agreements will capture the largest share of value over the next ten years.