{"id":126951,"date":"2024-11-17T16:51:48","date_gmt":"2024-11-17T09:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126951"},"modified":"2024-11-17T16:51:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-17T09:51:48","slug":"heres-how-some-auto-parts-stores-have-stayed-alive-in-the-online-era-cotd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126951","title":{"rendered":"Here&#8217;s How Some Auto Parts Stores Have Stayed Alive In The Online Era: COTD"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The landscape of auto parts stores is about to change. More than 700 Advance Auto Parts locations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theautopian.com\/heres-why-more-than-700-advance-auto-parts-locations-are-shutting-down\/#comments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are about to disappear<\/a>, removing an option for all kinds of wrenchers who need to get work done.<\/p>\n<p>There are many explanations for this, and Matt Sexton\u2019s additional insight about how these stores work is illuminating:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-41981 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/vidframe_min_top1.png\" alt=\"Vidframe Min Top\" width=\"800\" height=\"26\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-41980 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/vidframe_min_bottom1.png\" alt=\"Vidframe Min Bottom\" width=\"800\" height=\"26\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Spacer<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>I read this the other day, as you can imagine among us NAPA store owners it was of interest. I\u2019m actually on a Teams call getting an update on it right now.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>One thing to remember is that auto parts stores don\u2019t subsist on DIY\u2019ers doing work in their driveways. It\u2019s nice, because there\u2019s a bit more margin in that, but selling to the repair shops and fleets is where the bread and butter is. Advance acquired CarQuest a few years back to try to tap into that market a little better, I\u2019m surprised this was not mentioned in the article (I do wonder how much that acquisition affected the balance sheet and led to the situation they\u2019re in today). At our store probably 80% of our sales go out the back door. There\u2019s a lot of volume there and it explains why O\u2019Reilly\u2019s in particular is after NAPA\u2019s share of that market.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Auto parts is a fantastically competitive and complex business and there\u2019s price pressure from all sides. Knowledgeable talent is at a premium. Margins are embarrassingly thin but everyone \u201ccan get it cheaper\u201d somewhere else, and now the online retailers are strong as well. Sales are fairly soft in the industry right now, one theory I have is all the cars that weren\u2019t sold in 2020 are not coming off-lease now nor out of OEM warranty (which is where the aftermarket comes in). Some folks disagree with my theory but we saw a bump a few years after Cash for Clunkers so there\u2019s precedence. Between the Blue, Green, Orange and Red I\u2019m not surprised one of the four is feeling the squeeze. Advance in particular has been so desperate for sales that they\u2019ve been known to blitz areas at low margins, which has made things difficult at times.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Online retailers are a burden, to be sure, as evidenced by the number of folks here who say they\u2019re willing to wait for parts. A shop that has to manage rack time doesn\u2019t have this luxury, which is why it\u2019s important to be successful in wholesale. You can combat the online guys buy having inventory, getting it to the shop faster, and providing good service. Personally I obviously feel an independently owned NAPA store is more likely to invest in these areas (in particular inventory), as they have their skin in the game. Your mileage may vary based on your local ownership though, and more NAPA\u2019s are corporate owned now than ever before in my career, so it pays to know who runs yours.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>TL;DR: From my perspective Advance was a retail-focused parts operation that tried to buy more wholesale market buy acquiring CarQuest and then didn\u2019t know how to best use them, and amid a tough market is simply feeling the squeeze. I\u2019m far from the smartest guy in the room though so take it for what it\u2019s worth.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/crotchcoolers1.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, Jason wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theautopian.com\/conspiracy-theory-thursday-the-loss-of-the-crotch-a-c-vent-killed-sperm-count-in-america\/#comments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a Conspiracy Theory Thursday<\/a> post about the loss of crotch vents and sperm counts. Lizardman in a human suit wasn\u2019t entertained:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>As a space lizard posing as a human, I find this decline in crotch vents and fertility very concerning. This is our future food supply!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I mean our future children. Disregard the food supply comment.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-165764 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/bearly_top-1536x864-1.jpg\" alt=\"Bearly Top 1536x864\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/bearly_top-1536x864-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/bearly_top-1536x864-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/bearly_top-1536x864-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/bearly_top-1536x864-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Finally, there\u2019s Jason\u2019s story about how four people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theautopian.com\/apparently-dressing-up-like-a-bear-and-trashing-a-rolls-royce-for-insurance-money-is-a-crime-now\/#comments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allegedly committed insurance fraud<\/a> by reporting bear attacks on their cars, but the bear was actually just a person in a bear suit. LTDScott replies:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>I wonder how many times they got away with this in a Studebaker.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>Pete jumping in here<\/strong> \u2026 I thought I\u2019d go ahead and pop in a pic of a Studebaker Bearcat to cap LTDScott\u2019s gag, but in looking for a pic I discovered Studebaker didn\u2019t offer any Bear-named vehicles (though there were Hawks, of course, and one <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M29_Weasel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weasel<\/a>), and the Bearcat was an engine, not a car. You can see the mill inset in the ad below:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-165768 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Screenshot-2024-11-16-at-11.58.06%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Screenshot 2024 11 16 At 11.58.06\u202fam\" width=\"1456\" height=\"1194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Screenshot-2024-11-16-at-11.58.06%E2%80%AFAM.png 1456w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Screenshot-2024-11-16-at-11.58.06%E2%80%AFAM-300x246.png 300w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Screenshot-2024-11-16-at-11.58.06%E2%80%AFAM-1024x840.png 1024w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Screenshot-2024-11-16-at-11.58.06%E2%80%AFAM-768x630.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><em>However \u2013 and I\u2019m sure many of you are probably already poised to note this in the comments \u2013 there were indeed Bearcat automobiles; they just happened to be from Stutz, not Studebaker. Per <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stutz_Bearcat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>, the first Stutz Bearcat (or \u201cBear Cat\u201d) appeared in 1912. The model name continued through 1923 and was revived in 1931, then production ceased in 1934 and Stutz ultimately declared bankruptcy in 1937.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_165769\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-165769\" style=\"width: 1089px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-165769 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Stutz_Bearcat_Card.jpg\" alt=\"Stutz Bearcat Card\" width=\"1089\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Stutz_Bearcat_Card.jpg 1089w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Stutz_Bearcat_Card-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Stutz_Bearcat_Card-1024x676.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Stutz_Bearcat_Card-768x507.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1089px) 100vw, 1089px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-165769\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hippostcard.com\/listing\/1919-stutz-bearcat-brook-electric-motors-of-canada-ltd-drip-proof-advertisement\/33747956\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>hippostcard.com<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>But this was not the end for Stutz, at least in name. The brand was revived in 1968 as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stutz_Motor_Car_Company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stutz Motor Car of America<\/a>, and in 1979 the Bearcat returned with a, ahem, striking <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Virgil_Exner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Virgil Exner<\/a> design:<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_165766\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-165766\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-165766 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat.png\" alt=\"Virgil Exner Stutz Bearcat\" width=\"1600\" height=\"893\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat.png 1600w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/images-stag.jazelc.com\/uploads\/theautopian-m2en\/Virgil_Exner_Stutz_Bearcat-1536x857.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-165766\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guyswithrides.com\/2024\/08\/29\/lot-24131\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>GuysWithRides.com<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>\u2026 which is a whole \u2018nother story that would be a terrific tale for Mercedes to tell in her signature deep-dive style, don\u2019t you agree?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Have a great weekend, everyone!<\/p>\n<p><!-- AI CONTENT END 2 -->\n\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theautopian.com\/heres-how-some-auto-parts-stores-have-stayed-alive-in-the-online-era-cotd\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The landscape of auto parts stores is about to change. More than 700 Advance Auto Parts locations are about to disappear, removing an option for all kinds of wrenchers who &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126951\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=126951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126951\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=126951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=126951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=126951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}