Doug Major argues that decades of cheap, short-lived appliances are ending: manufacturers have no cost left to cut, prices are rising, and consumers tired of a five-to-seven-year replacement cycle want machines that last and repairs they can trust. In his experience roughly two-thirds of repair companies mostly condemn appliances rather than fix them, and the trade lacks the recognizable standards and professional identity consumers will look for. He sees a five-to-ten-year window for the industry to adapt.
The Renaissance is coming. All the early signals are here, even if most of the industry can’t see them yet. And let me tell you: the appliance repair business is not ready for it.
What happened to repair in small-town Alberta?
In rural, small-town Alberta, we watched the shift happen. No money down and low monthly payments sent our customers, neighbours and friends, scurrying to the city to chase the unattainable low, low, low advertised special.
And it worked. Money was tight. If a few months of payments came in under the cost of a repair, well, that was breathing room. Of course, nobody ever drove home with the lowest-advertised machine. Those were nailed to the floor. Today we’d call it a loss leader. But the bait did its job. Suddenly frugal-minded people were choosing new over fixed.
That wasn’t a Renaissance. That was the Great Cheapening, and it changed the behaviour of generations. Manufacturers, dealers and consumers all climbed aboard. Manufacturers stopped designing for lifespan, because the market rewarded a low sticker price over durability. Customers stopped buying value. Dealers revelled in it.
We didn’t know it then, but that was the dark age. And every Renaissance follows one.
Why is 2026 different?
Now, in 2026, the bill is coming due. Manufacturers have cut cost out of these machines for decades. They’ve cut to the floor. There’s nothing left to trim. So when input costs rise, there’s only one lever left: raise the price.
Meanwhile, the consumer is worn out by the five-to-seven-year replacement cycle and getting more cost-conscious by the month. They’re casting about for a different road. And every one of them has a story: an appliance tucked away somewhere that just ran forever. Suddenly, they want more of that.
Is the repair industry ready for them?
Here’s the hard part: no. Now stop me right here. Yes, I’m going to speak in generalizations. Remember, it’s the exception that proves the rule.
By my experience, and the experience of a lot of techs I’ve talked to, roughly two-thirds of companies aren’t really in the repair business at all. They’re condemners. “It’s not worth fixing” is the line you hear most. “Parts aren’t available” is a close second. And then there are the predators. I’ve talked about them before.
That leaves maybe a third who are real about it: technicians who see the job as keeping the appliance in the home, and somehow making a living doing it. Now carve out the ones equipped for the luxury market, and you’re left with very few hands to serve a hungry, growing segment.
Can anyone prove that two-thirds?
Before anybody asks me to prove it: I can’t.
There’s no study, no registry, no number to point at. That’s not me dodging. That is the tell.
Fifty years in this trade and nobody has ever counted, because there’s nobody whose job is to count. No voice. No watchdog. No one keeping score for the customer or the tech. So all you get is my number, earned one service call at a time. And the fact that mine is the best number going should tell you exactly where this trade stands.
What will consumers want from us?
Here’s where the consumer is heading. Consumers are going to want:
- Predictability
- Recognizable standards
- Trust
- Professional identity
If you’re an industry insider, you already know the appliance service trade has little to none of that. Two and four are the standouts. There’s no universal standard a customer can point to for comfort, and if there were, few customers would know what it was or where to find it.
With the lion’s share of the industry made up of shops under four people, levelling up to meet this demand is going to be hard. With no industry voice to educate customers or steady the partners, I see a rocky road ahead, littered with disappointment.
And that’s the thing about a Renaissance. By definition, most of the people living through one never recognize it. The few who do should come out well positioned. But the danger is real: the consumer could lose heart with us before we, as an industry, manage to adapt.
Why should you believe me?
For years I’ve pointed at the technician shortage and said that sooner or later we’ll get our chance. Well, here it comes.
None of this will do much for me. I won’t be around to cash in. Which is exactly why you can trust me when I say it: there’s a five-to-ten-year window opening up.
Please. Let’s not blow it.