(A) study on the customer demand characteristics and selection factors by location type of automobile service centers

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study empirically identifies, from a real estate perspective, the differential mechanisms through which the demand characteristics and selection factors of customers visiting automobile service centers operate by location type. In Korea, vehicle registrations have grown steadily while the number of repair establishments has remained stagnant, intensifying competition and raising the importance of differentiating factors such as location, service quality, and technical expertise. This study classifies automobile service centers into three location types — urban, suburban, and industrial complex — and analyzes how visiting customers' demand characteristics and selection factors differ across these types.
The theoretical foundation draws on location theory in real estate （the three major theories of urban spatial structure, the four-type classification of retail establishments, central place theory, and bid-rent theory） and on key prior research in the automobile repair field. In particular, the industrial complex type is academically established as a hybrid location that combines the multi-layered customer base of the urban type with the sufficient site and Class 1 comprehensive repair facilities of the suburban type, while also securing B2B transactions, commercial-vehicle repair demand, expressway access, and industrial cluster effects specific to industrial complexes.
The main findings are as follows. First, the empirical validity of the five-factor structure — geographic location, technical expertise, service quality and reliability, economic feasibility, and facility environment — was confirmed. Second, visiting customers were classified into two heterogeneous groups: the quality- and service-oriented type and the practical, balanced type. Third, economic feasibility and technical expertise showed significant associations with demand type, with economic feasibility most prominent. Fourth, respondents who emphasized geographic location tended to choose the urban type, while those who emphasized technical expertise tended to choose non-urban types; vehicle model year emerged as the most strongly associated factor, with owners of older vehicles showing a strong preference for the industrial complex type. Fifth, a statistically significant association was confirmed between demand type and the actual location visited, and the quality- and service-oriented type consistently showed higher overall satisfaction, service quality satisfaction, and revisit intention.
The spatial pattern in which repair demand for older vehicles differentiates toward the industrial complex type suggests that the spatial differentiation of automobile service centers forms in linkage with the vehicle life cycle and repair complexity. By integrating the analysis of location and selection factors and demonstrating the applicability of real estate location theory to the automobile repair field, this study contributes academically and presents the need for differentiated service and management strategies by demand and location type.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. Introduction 1
• 1. Background and Purpose of the Study 1
• A. Background of the Study 1
• B. Purpose of the Study 3
• 2. Scope, Methodology and Structure of the Study 4
• A. Scope of the Study 4
• B. Methodology of the Study 6
• C. Structure of the Study 8
• Ⅱ. Theoretical Review on the Customer Demand Characteristics and Selection Factors by Location Type of Automobile Service Centers 12
• 1. Understanding the Automobile Repair Industry and Automobile Service Centers 12
• A. Concept of the Automobile Repair Industry 12
• B. Types of the Automobile Repair Industry 18
• C. Concept of Automobile Service Centers 25
• 2. Location Theories and Location Types of Automobile Service Centers 28
• A. General Review of Location Theories 28
• B. Location Determinants of the Automobile Repair Industry 34
• C. Location Types of Automobile Service Centers 37
• 3. Demand Characteristics and Selection Factors 43
• A. Concept and Components of Demand Characteristics 43
• B. Concept and Components of Selection Factors 48
• C. Linkage between Location Type, Demand Characteristics, and Selection Factors 54
• 4. Review of Prior Research 58
• A. Prior Research on Automobile Service Centers and Similar Cases 58
• B. Prior Research on Demand Characteristics and Selection Factors 63
• C. Differentiation from Prior Research 67
• Ⅲ. Case Study of Management by Location Type of Automobile Service Centers 71
• 1. Case Study of Urban-Type Service Centers 72
• A. Business Status and Locational Characteristics 72
• B. Operational Performance and Management Outcomes 74
• C. Major Repair Demand and Service Characteristics by Location 77
• D. Management Strategies and Implications 79
• 2. Case Study of Suburban-Type Service Centers 81
• A. Business Status and Locational Characteristics 81
• B. Operational Performance and Management Outcomes 84
• C. Major Repair Demand and Service Characteristics by Location 87
• D. Management Strategies and Implications 89
• 3. Case Study of Industrial Complex-Type Service Centers 92
• A. Business Status and Locational Characteristics 92
• B. Operational Performance and Management Outcomes 94
• C. Major Repair Demand and Service Characteristics by Location 98
• D. Management Strategies and Implications 100
• Ⅳ. Empirical Analysis on the Customer Demand Characteristics and Selection Factors by Location Type of Automobile Service Centers 103
• 1. Overview of the Empirical Analysis 103
• A. Research Model 103
• B. Research Hypotheses 104
• C. Survey Design and Analytical Methods 107
• 2. General Demand Characteristics of Visiting Customers 110
• A. Demographic Characteristics 110
• B. Vehicle Ownership and Usage Characteristics 111
• C. Location Perceptions, Preferences and Selection Factors 113
• 3. Comparative Analysis of Demand Characteristics by Location Type 116
• A. Demand Type Classification (LCA) 116
• B. Cross-Tabulation Analysis of Demand Characteristics 119
• C. Difference Analysis of Demand Characteristics 120
• 4. Empirical Analysis of Selection Factors 123
• A. Verification of Reliability and Validity of Measurement Instruments 123
• B. Correlation of Selection Factors and Multicollinearity Analysis 132
• C. Regression Analysis of Selection Factors 134
• D. Regional Weight Sensitivity Analysis 143
• 5. Summary of Results and Implication 146
• A. Summary of Hypotheses Testing Results 146
• B. Summary of Results 148
• C. Implications 149
• Ⅴ. Conclusion 154
• 1. Summary of the Study 154
• 2. Directions for Future Research 157
• References 161
• Appendix 167
• 국문초록 177