coppercutlass

I heard it through the grapevinve carquest autoparts has been bought out by advance auto parts and will be closing within 30 day. Anyone else have any info on this. I loved carquest hate advance. Carquest always had awesome oil sales .

oldsman72

I read a headline the other day that Advanced bought 1 of it's competitors for like $2B, but I didn't see who they bought. Could be true.

coppercutlass

This is like what autozone did with trak auto and oriley's bought out murray's . The problem I have is advance auto pushes and stocks mainly their parts. They used to carry and stock top shelf stuff at competative prices. Now their stuff is over priced and not name brand. Looks like I'm stuck buy from napa now.

jaunty75

Read about it right here:

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincitie...-carquest.html


This will make Advance the largest auto parts chain in the country.

joe_padavano

Actually, Advanced also bought Trak Auto. No big loss in that case...

brownbomber77

Google for their coupons to save 40% and then compare to Rockauto. Hell, even some parts you get from Summit you can take off 40%. I've always gone to Advance just because the service I had at my local store, but never felt bad about using the coupons to my advantage...no pun intended...haha Maybe they'll lower their regular prices now that they just have O'Reilly's, Autozone, and Napa to compete with.

jaunty75

Why would they do that? Usually a decrease in number of competitors leads to an increase in prices, not a decrease. That's basic economics and the reason the government usually works to try to prevent mergers that end up leading to a monopoly or near-monopoly.

coppercutlass

Joe I had always though az. Bought trak auto. I forgot where I read that but thanks for clearing that up. Also I just go to napa or carquest with my mechanic shirt from work and napa and carquest both happy to sell me parts at shop cost.

citcapp

OReilly's bought out the local chain of Shuck's stores and now stock's mostly cheap store brand stuff, very little selection. That's the way of big box stores. We have a few small independent auto parts stores and Napa that still have quality stuff. I use them and Rock Auto for most parts and Summit for some speed parts.

I hate large box stores. They are full of stuff that almost works and packages of 3 nuts and packages of 4 bolts packs of two light bulbs and so on. I have stopped using them.

Professur

The easiest way to deal with your competition is the leveraged buyout ... use their own success against them and get them out of the way.

redoldsman

AutoZone bought out Chief Auto Parts which was owned by 7-11 at one time years ago.

joe_padavano

Well, apparently Advance only acquired the Trak Auto stores in the DC, VA, and MD areas:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....439&highlight=

Living in the DC area, that's all I saw.

droldsmorland

No big loss either way. I steer clear of these big box sheet holes as the shelves are filled with 100% chineasium junk!

coppercutlass

Yes but the big store just bought one of the best imo of the last auto parts store that carried name brands. I wonder who else will carry the victornreinz gasket line. I think car quest was the only one who carried it

joe_padavano

Actually, not.

I get brand names at my local Advance. Of course, you have to ask for them (as opposed to the Chinesium brands they push on you) and usually the stuff is not in stock. It's this reason (not wanting to make two trips) that I simply order from RockAuto if I have the time. Of course, you need to trade off shipping charges with sales tax. On heavy items, (ie, brake drums for my dually), it was significantly cheaper to buy them from NAPA than from RockAuto.

Depending on the person behind the counter, Advance will price match. I was able to get the E-brock carb for my 62 from them at the best deal. Also got them to order all the Walker exhaust pieces I needed for that car, price match RockAuto, and save me about $70 in shipping.

Professur

I've never found any mortar and brick store that would price match an online retailer.

CQR

My main parts supplier is an independent Carquest store. He says Carquest has told him business as usual. So at least in the short run, brands, prices, and part numbers are going to continue unchanged. Carquest is too big to go thru an rename and rebox everything. I would guess if they are eaten up they will do it slowly over time. If I had to deal directly with GPI, I would have bailed on them long ago. I try to only deal with independents.

coppercutlass

My friend said all stores are closing within 30 days. I'm talking chicago area and there is a rediculous amount of advance autos every where . He works for a village works facility and they get all their parts from car quest.

joe_padavano

All I can say is that I've done it a few times at my local Advance store. It usually requires bypassing the kid at the counter and talking directly to the manager. It also depends on the total dollar value - they are more willing to work with you on larger orders.

This may have changed somewhat, as Advance now has published price match criteria. I've not tried the RockAuto match recently.

joe_padavano

While I can see shutting stores that overlap, it doesn't make business sense to spend $2 BILLION only to shut all the stores. They aren't going to get THAT much additional profit from the reduced competition.

I do expect them to close selected stores. Here in Leesburg, VA, the CarQuest store is about half a mile from the Advance store. That's probably too close to make sense. Ironically, this CarQuest moved to that location not long ago from somewhat further away.

CQR

It looks like many of the corporate owned stores may close. But according to this the independents will continue on.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/...-be-under.html

1969w3155

We have Carquest (usually competent people) who do most of their business with the local garages, Auto Zone, whom I try to avoid, Advance, ok, but I use them less and less, as they really make no effort to cater to the vintage guys (and they quit carrying Purolater oil filters), newly arrived O'Reilly's, who have a small selection, and finally a NAPA, which has been around as Muskegon Automotive for a few decades, decent place and people, use them for quality, but I use Rock Auto the most now-a-days, to get parts at a good price.

coppercutlass

I can think of atleast 4 or 5 carquest locations in the area close to advance stores. Out in the more non populated areas I can see where they would keep in buisness but in the chicagoland and suburbs area I don't think you can go 10 miles with out finding an advance auto.

Olds442redberet

It is a shame that all we see are corporations which have little concern over quality or customer service. They pay very little to their employess, hire people who know nothing about cars and do not carry complete inventories. Ask the sales rep a question and they will just look at you with a funny look on thier face as they refer to the computor. Oh yeah, they think your the stupid one. Order the parts for a brake job and they have half of what you need in stock, such as the pads and rotors, but they will have to order the seals that you need for the new rotors, "they'll be here first thing in the morning". What a shame. No pride in the business anymore. Just my opinion. Sorry for the rant.

coppercutlass

I couldn't agree move olds442redberet . A few years ago I went to autozone and asked for a 1 wire gm alt. The guy at the counter said what car . So I said 1 ton mid 80's gm truck. He said what year I said 85. He them ask's me are you. Joking around and I said no . I then give him my core and realizes it's looks a bit diffrent. I tell him well it should it came off my 72 cutlass. He said then you have the wrong part. I then had to explain the whole deal to him and made him look like an idiot. Customers where actually laughing as I explained.

Professur

I believe the correct term is counter jockey.

CQR

I'm guilty. I used to call and screw with the counter guys at Checkers (Schucks, Kragen's). this was back in the 80's.

Some went pretty well.
1. Asked if they had spark plugs for a blue car. They put me on hold to check.

2. They told me they didn't stock a thermostat for a '69 beetle but they could special order one.

3. Asked for points and condenser for a 71 Mach I, and he asked me if it had electronic ignition. I was in the store for that one. I put down all the oil and filters I had in my hands and walked out.

4. I asked if they had a brass magnet as part of their tool rental program.

steverw

And on my computer theres an ad for Advanced auto just below this post. LOL

Professur

billmerbach

I heard advance also bought out O'Reillys not sure though

rustyroger

I used to buy most of my parts at Carquest in Llano, Tx.
The manager was always very helpful and would happily go the extra mile to find hard to locate parts for me, a distributor for a '68 Rambler Rebel in two days for example.

It would be a shame to lose her services, quality service is hard to come by nowadays.

Roger.

jaunty75

I've seen a number of articles about the Advance purchase of Carquest, but I've seen no mention of them or anyone buying O'Reilly's.

RonFX

Guys:
Just another case of the consumer being the biggest loser. Back in the day I worked at an independent neighborhood parts store, this was before computers, we all had a 6' catalog rack to use and you knew it from end to end. We were hands down better then the chain store, back then it was Nationwise. A customer could come in w/ an old anything, if we could find a casting number we could get a replacement, if you needed something that was no longer in the catalog, give us a few days and we could find a replacement using the buyers guide that listed thread sizes, length, spring rates and other info. It really upsets me when I go to the local chain store and the counterman just gives you a blank look and has no idea what you are talking about or is not willing to put in the extra time, even if you just want to drop the item off and give him plenty of time to look. Most of

billmerbach

I heard this from an O'Reillys guy not to sure because like you said I never heard ofbit till he told me

CQR

RonFX. You are absolutely right. I still have a huge rack of catalogs and I'm not even a parts store. I keep them because I have so many instances where I have an oddball car in the shop, or a customer who is building something and we need dimensions.

coppercutlass

Even junkyards don't know the interchange anymore. There is a wrecking yard about 2 hrs south of me real old school and they still have the hollander interchange books and are not only happy to help you but they will help you pick a part off if you are having a hard time. For free I may add.

boese1978

where is Crown Auto when you need them?