Why so many auto parts stores nowadays?

[timbitca]

Not really. We have Canadian Tire and Partsource, which are owned by Canadian Tire. Partsource doesn't even have an online catalog last time I looked. There are a few Carquests around, but only outside the big cities, and only in the East. UAP/NAPAs are around. Out west there's Lordco. And there's some wholesalers around that only sell to garages.

Then there's some sellers on Kijiji, I'm not sure if they're buying from the wholesale places or if they're importing themselves.

Gee, I seem to have it pretty good out here then.

I have three Canadian Tires in town, 2 CarQuest, 2 Napa's and 5 independents I can think of, off the top of my head, definitely forgetting something. Not bad for a metro of about 100k

 

[nbpt100]

I hate going in any of the chain stores. Their prices are high, they typically don't have "brand names" when you want them. There must be 10 different auto stores within a 10 mile radius of my house. Luckily 2 of them are "old school". The one has ordered brand name anti-freeze for me. Got it the next day. The other had the specific brand and type of ATF I wanted in stock.

The rest I order from Rock Auto or Amazon. Both will sell you premium, name brand parts for not much more than the generic stuff from those big chains.

When AutoZone(and the other box stores) came around 15 or 20 years ago they had very cheap prices and would undercut the competition. Now they are being undercutted by Amazon and RA. As you point out their prices are far from the lowest.

Their web prices don't compete but they do offer decent coupon codes at times.

I worry about a day when all we have is Amazon. Then their prices will not seem so cheap. For that reason I try to go elsewhere. Think about it.

When I was younger and worked at an Esso station there was several small parts places
around town, but they were not on the main shopping areas. As the major chain stores have come in the smaller independent stores have closed., but you see the majors as they
build and market on the main drag. The small places where aimed more at the pro's so they did not pay those higher rents.

Good point! The Box stores want highly visible locations where independent (even NAPA) stores who mostly sold to shops and local gear heads wanted the cheapest rent in a somewhat central location. They were mostly warehouses and not storefronts. Kinda like a plumbing supplyhouse. They were happy to be on a side street and did not care about having a big parking lot. Most of their sales were deliveries. Those stores use to be mostly just a counter and nothing or little on display. You had to know what you wanted. You could not look around and see what options were out there. That is one benefit of what the Box stores brought in.
I remember some old school counter people getting pretty impatient when I was a kid trying to figure out what I needed. They were busy and did not want to spend any extra time or give advice. Those guys just want to ring up sales and pick orders. They were use to dealing only with pros. In some ways things have improved.

 

[bwringer]

I've noticed that the parts stores have REALLY jacked up the prices of consumables.

The 5W-30 synthetic for my van is $22.79 at Walfart, $38.99 at Advance for a five quart jug (and my van takes 6.4 quarts, which is another rant for another day). Same story for wiper blades, ATF, antifreeze, etc. -- unless you hit a sale, these things cost a LOT more at the auto parts store. A few bucks I could understand and would happily pay to avoid Wally World, but paying an extra $32 when you need two jugs seems a little much.

I really, really detest Wally World, so I generally just make a raid every few months to stock up on automotive fluids. I won't buy anything else there.

 

[aka Larry]

I've noticed that the parts stores have REALLY jacked up the prices of consumables.

The 5W-30 synthetic for my van is $22.79 at Walfart, $38.99 at Advance for a five quart jug (and my van takes 6.4 quarts, which is another rant for another day). Same story for wiper blades, ATF, antifreeze, etc. -- unless you hit a sale, these things cost a LOT more at the auto parts store. A few bucks I could understand and would happily pay to avoid Wally World, but paying an extra $32 when you need two jugs seems a little much.

I really, really detest Wally World, so I generally just make a raid every few months to stock up on automotive fluids. I won't buy anything else there.

Same here. We call Wal-Mart the "Evil Empire" and about the only time I go there now is to buy motor oil because it's MUCH cheaper than the auto parts stores..

 

[tdott]

Amazon is trying to corner the market on auto parts, won't be for a few years but if you think the mom & pop stores disappeared quickly, just wait until amazon can delivery everywhere same day,, I'd hate to not have the local napa or autozone,, but i wouldn't be surprised if they disappear over the next 5 years

Amazon may get the consumer market, but until they can supply businesses with same day delivery of almost every part, repair shops can't switch to them.

Getting parts delivered within a few hours is key for repair shops. Time is money for them.

 

[Ohio Auto]

I must be different.

We have OReileys, Advance, AutoZone, etc.... but I use the mom and pop old school parts store in town.

Do I pay a little extra? yep. But I get name brand parts and great service ... it's worth it to me.

 

[Bluedodge]

Around this neck of the woods it's been a wash over the past few decades.

AutoZone, Advance, O'Reilly's are newer players.

Montgomery Wards, KMart, JC Penneys, and Sears all carried auto parts and performed service work previously. Now they've all gone **** up. So have parts only places like Murray's, Auto Works, and Western.

 

[sucking chest wound]

I've wondered the same question about the proliferation of auto parts stores, but I'm not complaining. It is convenient when you are in a jam. I'm within a 2 minute drive of a O'Reilly (the newest store), Autozone, Advance and a Pep Boys, as well as a ratty old NAPA that has existed forever. All of these stores are within about a mile of each other.

I use any of them in a pinch for consumables but prefer to buy genuine parts at the dealer, or on Amazon or eBay. eBay is also great for buying in bulk the stupid little stuff that parts stores mark up to the moon, like various electrical connectors. I find that if I need it, and I can really wait a week, I'll buy 100 of what I can buy in a package of 5 at a parts store for the same price.

It always kills me to see people in the parking lot, with a reasonably nice car, struggling to put on $60 worth of ill-fitting aftermarket wiper assemblies, when they could have dropped by the dealer and bought the OEM rubber inserts for $5.

Probably the thing I use auto parts stores the most for is just to drop off used oil though

 

[Jeepster04]

Rock auto is ok except their shipping charges are high.......and pentalize the customer for shipping from multiple warehouse locations. They will not be able to compete with Amazon if they do not change their shipping. Rock auto return policy is also NOT a customer friendly.

Agree with all of the above. Normally Ive always ordered from rock auto after spending a good bit of time checking prices EVERYWHERE else. Just recently I ordered a 'new' mopar starter that arrived inside of a box but outside of the plastic bag and it was covered in greasy finger prints. I suppose someone bought it and returned it for whatever reason AFTER installing it. Had to pay $16 to ship it back, Im not using a used starter.

Made in china anyway... I was hoping for a NOS USA mopar starter, which Ive bought from rock auto before..

 

[pete379]

when I was a kid, we had Napa and a "mom&pop" in our town. now 40 yrs later we have Napa, Oriellys , and autozone . Napa and oriellys are a 1/4 mile apart, Autozone built between them !

 

[unslow1]

Too bad they're all garbage and sell garbage parts. All of my parts come straight from the dealer or from RockAuto.

I always find it hilarious when people say things like this. Where do you think that dealer got those parts from? There isn't a dealer in town here that doesn't have an account at every single one of them. They buy them then double or sometimes even triple the markup. Nearly every parts house carries the major OEM names. Those parts go right out the side/rear door in those little white trucks. Then the shop/dealer marks them up and sells them to you. You can buy them but generally you have to ask.

 

[Trey T]

There are tons of small, likely unregistered business, auto repair shops in Houston. Perhaps they're the main reason for the demands of auto shops.

 

[DakotaMan]

I'm glad because of their tool rental policies. I may buy the part online because I want OEM or a special grade, but I'll buy consumables from Advance/OReilly/etc because I want them to stay around for the tool rental. If Amazon ever got into that business. I already get same day on most of what I buy...but then again, there's a distribution center less than a mile from my house.

 

[rambo19]

Gone the other way in the UK.
Parts shops closing down and only a couple of big boys left.

 

[Jlbc212]

It wasn't that long ago, before the chain store auto parts stores came along, that you couldn't find a mom & pop auto store open after 5pm, after noon on a Saturday or at any hour on a Sunday. Those closed hours were when shade tree mechanics like myself needed a part. I don't particularly like chain stores, but I do really like driving to a store and finding it open when I really need something.

 

[tatra]

From sCanadian perspective I can never understand how Canadian Tire ever stays in business. Even with their sales usually a little research shows a cheaper option . One opened a stones throw from me and I just can't see how they will stay open . Not just this one but all of them .

 

[unslow1]

It wasn't that long ago, before the chain store auto parts stores came along, that you couldn't find a mom & pop auto store open after 5pm, after noon on a Saturday or at any hour on a Sunday. Those closed hours were when shade tree mechanics like myself needed a part. I don't particularly like chain stores, but I do really like driving to a store and finding it open when I really need something.

Here are the hours of the Napa here. You couldn't get parts from them after your 9-5 if you wanted to. The 4pm Sat closing is really ridiculous.


Tuesday 7:30AM–6PM
Wednesday 7:30AM–6PM
Thursday 7:30AM–6PM
Friday 7:30AM–6PM
Saturday 7:30AM–4PM
Sunday 9AM–3PM
Monday 7:30AM–6PM

Advance Auto, Autozone and O'Reilly all basically the same hours

Tuesday 7:30AM–9PM
Wednesday 7:30AM–9PM
Thursday 7:30AM–9PM
Friday 7:30AM–9PM
Saturday 7:30AM–9PM
Sunday 9AM–8PM


Monday 7:30AM–9PM

 

[btdobie]

Most of my neighbors don't even have tools, let alone an air compressor, or even a hydraulic jack and jack stands. Anyway, just curious if you're experiencing the same things in your part of the world.

I have basically learned not to go to friends or relatives houses to fix things for them. Usually the tools they have are piled into a junk drawer or bucket in the garage and certain key sizes are missing. Or they want you to fix their Honda pressure washer and only have SAE size wrench's and sockets(true story).

Now when I am asked to fix things, I bring them back home. I can fix them so much faster with well organized quality tools that it more than makes up for the drive time.

 

[teamextreme]

I always find it hilarious when people say things like this. Where do you think that dealer got those parts from? There isn't a dealer in town here that doesn't have an account at every single one of them. They buy them then double or sometimes even triple the markup. Nearly every parts house carries the major OEM names. Those parts go right out the side/rear door in those little white trucks. Then the shop/dealer marks them up and sells them to you. You can buy them but generally you have to ask.

So you're saying I can pop down to AutoZone (or any other chain) and buy an OEM part? I call BS. Some of them may stock AC Delco, if you want to consider that OEM, but that's about it. I don't have a lot of experience with RA, but I was able to buy a MAF sensor for my Toyota that they listed as being the same supplier as OEM. It didn't have a Toyota label, it was Nippondenso, or some other mfg., so that's close to making your statement true.

On the subject why they seem to all be clustered together, I've noticed this trend for many years and it's not limited to auto parts. If there's a Home Depot in town, sure as hell, Lowes will open a store within blocks, and vice versa. Substitute HD/Lowes with your local flavor of grocery store competitors as well. I'm convinced there's a marketing theory out there being taught at the best business schools that this is the best business practice for deciding store locations, and it makes no sense to me.

 

[exranger06]

Here are the hours of the Napa here. You couldn't get parts from them after your 9-5 if you wanted to. The 4pm Sat closing is really ridiculous.


Tuesday 7:30AM–6PM
Wednesday 7:30AM–6PM
Thursday 7:30AM–6PM
Friday 7:30AM–6PM
Saturday 7:30AM–4PM
Sunday 9AM–3PM
Monday 7:30AM–6PM

Advance Auto, Autozone and O'Reilly all basically the same hours

Tuesday 7:30AM–9PM
Wednesday 7:30AM–9PM
Thursday 7:30AM–9PM
Friday 7:30AM–9PM
Saturday 7:30AM–9PM
Sunday 9AM–8PM


Monday 7:30AM–9PM

The Napa I work at has even shorter hours.
Weekdays 8:00-5:30
Saturdays 8:00-3:00
Sundays 9:00-1:00

 

[teamextreme]

Now when I am asked to fix things, I bring them back home. I can fix them so much faster with well organized quality tools that it more than makes up for the drive time.

You're doing it wrong. If you're being generous and fixing things for people, they should be bringing their broken junk to you! You shouldn't have to chauffeur their stuff as well as fix it.

 

[unslow1]

I know Advance carries Nippondenso. They also carry the NGK, Denso, Motorcraft, AC Delco and many other lines. I know it's true. I worked in their commercial section for 16 years and delivered those parts to the dealers. Guess where the body shops get their supplies? You don't think little mom and pop hole in wall shops pay for all those little white trucks do you?


I bet most people didn't know they also have a used parts line. Mostly wheels, bumpers and stuff for body shops. I bought my NOS, ****** headers Edelbrock aluminum heads, 6-71 blowers and tons of other stuff there also.

 

[btdobie]

You're doing it wrong. If you're being generous and fixing things for people, they should be bringing their broken junk to you! You shouldn't have to chauffeur their stuff as well as fix it.

I usually get tipped a few bucks for the jobs, or we trade favors such as checking in on my house while I'm on vacation. I've heard stories of people being taken advantage of, but luckily my friends and family are really good about reciprocating favors for the most part.

 

[ssdave]

I always wonder how O'Reilly and such stay in business when inependentents and NAPA seem to be a lot better to me. I was driving with one of my guys last week, and we went by O'Reilly and I remarked that. He immediately said, I buy all my stuff there. He went on to say that when he went into NAPA, they treated him like ****, kept talking to the resident stool warmers, and generally talked down to him and made him feel stupid because he wasn't a car guy or mechanic. O'Reilly to him is like Wal-Mart, you go in, go down the aisles, pick what you want, see the price, or go to the counter and the guys look up and sell parts to you, no embarrassment, no insider fraternity.

So, he avoids NAPA for the same reasons I go there: They have the knowledge to deal with a more sophisticated customer, but don't communicate well with non-car guys.

I think it's a lot like why Lowes has displaced local lumberyards: they price things, put them out where you can see them, and don't talk down to non-contractors. They realized that it was more profitable to sell $500 each to 10 homeowners at a 35% markup, than to scrape their profit down to 7% on a $20,000 house package for a contractor. To do so, they had to put clear pricing on the item, put it out where the homeowner could look at it for long periods of time and decide what they were doing, and put clerks out there that would treat the homeowners courteously and answer their beginner questions in a reasonable manner. What a concept! And it worked.

Autozone has gone one step further, and even loans out the tools in addition to selling the parts, and lets you work on it in their parking lot if you need to.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

More chains, but the mom and pop stores and independent warehouses have largely disappeared.

There will be more consolidation in the next couple of years, and subsequently a lot of empty storefronts.

X2. The best parts store I ever dealt with was Ren Auto Parts here in Denville. It was a 2nd generation Mom & Pop store. They would let me take stuff home to match it up and if it wasn't what I needed they would let me return it if it wasn't used. How many big box stores will do that anymore? Once Advanced & Autozone moved into the area it was just a matter of time. Now it's a restaurant called "Veggie Heaven"...

Tommy

 

[C_F]

Same here. We call Wal-Mart the "Evil Empire" and about the only time I go there now is to buy motor oil because it's MUCH cheaper than the auto parts stores..

I feel the same regarding Wally World & rarely ever go in the place. I didn't know their oil was that much cheaper, so I guess I'd better go check it out. The prices at the parts stores is getting to the point of stupid!

 

[vettex2]

Rock auto is ok except their shipping charges are high.......and pentalize the customer for shipping from multiple warehouse locations. They will not be able to compete with Amazon if they do not change their shipping. Rock auto return policy is also NOT a customer friendly.

I agree with all the above
if you include the shipping it's just not worth it and when they screw up, the screw you
I use them for reference only now.

 

[Iroc-Z]

I do allot of repair on cars at home and I use Oreilly's or Rock Auto. Rock Auto is great if I have a job scheduled a week out. I can save some money on parts and even with shipping its still a better price on certain items. Oreilly's gets my normal business. I shy away from Napa and Carquest. Seems like every time I do a price comparison Napa and carquest are 15-20 percent more. Also I do not like the reboxing of parts. If I like Moog parts I can go to Oreilly's and buy Moog. I feel like I don't know what I am getting in a Napa box. On a side note the Carquest that I live by has some great employee's. But so does the Oreilly's. I don't get asked dumb questions and they know time is money. I can give them a list and hang up. They will call back with prices and availability.

 

[Iroc-Z]

Rock auto is ok except their shipping charges are high.......and pentalize the customer for shipping from multiple warehouse locations. They will not be able to compete with Amazon if they do not change their shipping. Rock auto return policy is also NOT a customer friendly.

True. You have to be smart when using Rock Auto. I will fill my cart on a bigger order. Then I will see how many warehouses I will be shipping from. Then I will go back remove parts and maybe go with a different brand. Usually I am never shipping out of more then one or two warehouses on a 500-600 dollar order. Plus once you lock shipping down out of two they will highlight in the catalogue the parts that would come out of the warehouse your already shipping from.

 

[bwringer]

Here in Indianapolis, one of the Autozone stores stays open 24 hours:
http://locations.autozone.com/in/indianapolis/5050-w-washington-st.html

This has saved the day (saved the night, actually) for me more than once. Although you do get a very, very strange crowd down at Autozone at 2:00 am. I'm talking people who don't go to Walmart at 2:00 am because it's way too fancy.

It's true that we were all there in the middle of the night because of a combination of bad luck and poor decisions, but some people build their entire lifestyle around poor decisions.



Also, there is a large "NO WORKING ON CARS IN THE PARKING LOT" sign hanging on every Autozone around here, but no one has ever paid the slightest attention.

I once loaned a few tools to a gent who had bought a used car earlier that day and pulled up to Autozone with suspiciously savory smoke wafting from his rear wheels. Turns out the used car lot had used a jigsaw to make a spiffy set of wooden rear brake pads out of plywood. I helped him install a set of real rear brake pads. He thanked me and left with fire in his eyes, determined to get his $16 back from the car lot...

 

[BonzoHansen]

I agree with all the above
if you include the shipping it's just not worth it and when they screw up, the screw you
I use them for reference only now.

I use their site to double check part numbers and other research. They have the best site out there. Then I usualy get it cheaper from amazon. I also get oem parts on amazon sometimes.


Lol at earlier comments about oil spots in the lots. I was at advance this weekend grabbing some cleaner. I saw a good sized fresh oil puddle on the ground and thought that car could not have long to live ******* that much oil

 

[unslow1]

Here in Indianapolis, one of the Autozone stores stays open 24 hours:
http://locations.autozone.com/in/indianapolis/5050-w-washington-st.html

This has saved the day (saved the night, actually) for me more than once. Although you do get a very, very strange crowd down at Autozone at 2:00 am. I'm talking people who don't go to Walmart at 2:00 am because it's way too fancy.

It's true that we were all there in the middle of the night because of a combination of bad luck and poor decisions, but some people build their entire lifestyle around poor decisions.



Also, there is a large "NO WORKING ON CARS IN THE PARKING LOT" sign hanging on every Autozone around here, but no one has ever paid the slightest attention.

I once loaned a few tools to a gent who had bought a used car earlier that day and pulled up to Autozone with suspiciously savory smoke wafting from his rear wheels. Turns out the used car lot had used a jigsaw to make a spiffy set of wooden rear brake pads out of plywood. I helped him install a set of real rear brake pads. He thanked me and left with fire in his eyes, determined to get his $16 back from the car lot...

Thanks for the heads up on that Autozone being 24hrs. That could've come in handy a few times in the past. One of the Advance stores did that a few years ago near Kankakee IL. That didn't last very long.

 

[md21722]

Advance, Auto Zone, and O'Reilly's all want to be practically in line of sight of one another.

Where I live, I have an Advance (formerly Car Quest) 2 miles from my home. The next nearest cluster of stores is about 4 miles away. We have Advance/Auto Zone right next door to each other, with a path beaten into the grass between them. NAPA is about 2 blocks from there, and O'Reilly's is on the other side of the street. We also have a smaller import shop about 1 mile from there that I hear the NAPA send people to quite regularly...

All these places have drivers that go to the independent repair shops and they can get parts amazingly fast. I'm in Colorado Springs, about 60 miles south of Denver. I know the O'Reilly's gets 3 trucks a day from Denver. NAPA has 3 stores here. If its somewhere in town it will be had in about an hour. If it's got to come from Denver, it'll generally be next day.

 

[timbitca]

From sCanadian perspective I can never understand how Canadian Tire ever stays in business. Even with their sales usually a little research shows a cheaper option . One opened a stones throw from me and I just can't see how they will stay open . Not just this one but all of them .

Auto parts and service is but a fraction of Canadian Tire's business, they carry a whole lot more stuff and I'd guess that's where the bulk of their sales comes from. They moved one of the local CT's into an old Target here last year. While the garage obviously takes up quite a bit of space, I'd venture to say that inside the store automotive takes up less than 25% of square footage.

 

[myyaz33]

No facts to back it up, but I think the internet and more specifically Youtube has been the largest single factor enabling growth for auto parts businesses in the last 5-10 years. Wanna troubleshoot an EGR valve in 1997? Go get the Haynes manual... Today, spend 5 minutes watching the exact howto video.

 

[MikeF2316]

Gee, I seem to have it pretty good out here then.

I have three Canadian Tires in town, 2 CarQuest, 2 Napa's and 5 independents I can think of, off the top of my head, definitely forgetting something. Not bad for a metro of about 100k

I have to go more than 30 km for a Carquest, 20 for a NAPA. I can walk to a Canadian Tire and a Lowes. Within that 20 km, I have 2 Lowes, 3 Home Depots, 4 Canadian Tires. So I don't know why the parts stores can't make a go of it. However, I have it good, I just get my buddy to order from his suppliers, so I get my parts at wholesale prices, and with no running around.