Advance Auto Parts closing 700 stores !

[rfuerst911sc]

Advance Auto Parts has announced they will close 700 stores and 4 distribution centers by the middle of next year . The closures will include 500 corporate owned stores and over 200 independently owned stores . I guess the market is over saturated but I feel bad for all employees that will be affected .

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/trending/advance-auto-parts-close-more-than-500-stores-200-independent-locations/KWGNFYDLURDF7JMRK5GHCC4XCU/

[slow&rusty]

It was a matter of time.

Online sales have been destroying these businesses for years.

I think back to even 15-years ago, I was a regular at the local O'Reilly's. The manager of the store and I became friends, I was there so often he even set me up on a commercial account for discounts on most things. I would occasionally buy them Pizza & Wings.

Fast forward to today, I never go there anymore unless it is an extreme emergency or dump old oil. Fast shipping and lower prices online have meant these box stores can't compete (same holds true for so many other aspects of online shopping).

[Dixie]

I read a big factor was people not DIY-ing due to the complexity of newer cars.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Interesting about oil disposal.

In the past, I've gotten all my oil at the laps, and dumped all my old oil in their bin.

Recently, I couldn't find what I wanted at the laps. Add in "tired of dealing with store people" (I'm sure they are just as tired of dealing with me) so I ordered online.

Point. Click. Delivered.


Now I've got about 24 quarts to go dump somewhere. I feel bad about going in the laps just to dump oil, so I was going to at least buy towelettes or something, but when these things inevitably go down, I'm betting a lot more oil gets dumped in the woods.

Especially if they start oil disposal fees. Then people are really gonna dump it.

[dewolf]

Originally Posted by Dixie

I read a big factor was people not DIY-ing due to the complexity of newer cars.

I'd also add a lot of folks are time poor. I'm semi retired and still seem busier than when I was working. Unfortunately no time to do much wrenching.

[kach22i]

A real shame, they were the only one of four places I tried that had my front brake pads when I needed them ASAP, as I was given the wrong ones by another store.

Who knew "Sport" meant "Coupe" in the computer system on my Infiniti?

Not me, and not the people at the store either.

[A930Rocket]

We have two AAP, in our small town of 60k, a couple miles apart. Plus, Autozone, O’Reillys and NAPA. All of the parking lot are always empty.

[KFC911]

^^^^ Here they could all share a single parking lot .... two stores next to each other and another across the very busy street.

I do have a NAPA big store/dist ctr close by ....

Don't go there very much either

[stevej37]

I'm down to my last three quarts of the $1 Valvoline Racing Oil.

Where am I supposed to get my car air fresheners at now? They have a huge selection of them.

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

Interesting about oil disposal.

In the past, I've gotten all my oil at the laps, and dumped all my old oil in their bin.

Recently, I couldn't find what I wanted at the laps. Add in "tired of dealing with store people" (I'm sure they are just as tired of dealing with me) so I ordered online.

Point. Click. Delivered.


Now I've got about 24 quarts to go dump somewhere. I feel bad about going in the laps just to dump oil, so I was going to at least buy towelettes or something, but when these things inevitably go down, I'm betting a lot more oil gets dumped in the woods.

Especially if they start oil disposal fees. Then people are really gonna dump it.

I dispose of all of my oil at the landfill (for Leaky, the one on Dick Woods Rd). They have big 250 gal tanks with drain pans on the top.

As far as Advanced goes, here we have 2 within 5 miles of each other, along with 2 Autozones. Other than for hard goods like hose I rarely use them.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by greglepore

I dispose of all of my oil at the landfill (for Leaky, the one on Dick Woods Rd). They have big 250 gal tanks with drain pans on the top.

As far as Advanced goes, here we have 2 within 5 miles of each other, along with 2 Autozones. Other than for hard goods like hose I rarely use them.

Thanks. Good to know.
I've always used nelson co. and didn't think the landfills took oil. I get my mulch at Dick Woods.

[GH85Carrera]

Oklahoma City has a "free" hazerdious waste disposal site. It is only open to people that have a OKC water bill. So no additional cost to me. I bring them all of my old oil, brake fluid, florescent bulbs, paint, insecticides, and dead batteries, even the one UV light bulb that has mercury in it.

It is there to avoid illegal dumping. Once every other month we can put out fence panels, appliances, tree debris, and pretty much anything except tires and it is picked up for free. The scavengers go around and grab a lot of it and fix it and sell it so it does not go to the dump.

The advance auto near me never had much for my old cars. I do have a NAPA warehouse just a few miles from me that I buy most of my local stuff there.

I buy a couple of cases of Aviation oil for our Cessna. The local company that we bought it from for years moved to the boondocks. They will deliver, in a 18 wheel semi that has a tough time in my neighborhood. Now I just get it from Amazon. Delivered in a couple of days no issues.

[Por_sha911]

I suspect that the FLAPS actually profit from taking used oil because they then sell it to recyclers.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I suspect that the FLAPS actually profit from taking used oil because they then sell it to recyclers.

I worked at a FLAPS from '92-95. While I was there we started accepting oil. I was told that we sold the oil to companies that used it to power stuff like large ships. But if you got anything in it other than oil (like antifreeze or water) then we were screwed. That happened regularly.

"Is this just oil?"
"Yes"
< Glug glug glug goes the coolant >

[masraum]

I generally (if I need a FLAPS) prefer O'Reilly, then AutoZone, then Advance. I haven't been to a Napa in years. I think we've got a Carquest here that I've been in once or twice.

[pwd72s]

Hmmmm. Like no more Sears Craftsman tools sections with decent made in USA tools, were going to miss FLAPS when they're gone. Guess it won't bother me personally, because at 81, I don't really DIY much of anything anymore. My old body now has me with quite a list of things I used to do...yesterday I paid to have roof & gutters cleaned.

[jcommin]

This is interesting article. I worked for Fel-Pro Inc for 35 yrs. They have a very large presence in the aftermarket gasket world and a small OE presence especially the HD side. The aftermarket biz is very cyclic; busy season is typically the first 4 months of the new year. It tails off during the summer months and in the fall, production ramps up to build inventory for the new year. You can make book on this. The aftermarket spikes when there is a drop in OE sales mostly due to the economy. People will fix their car rather than buy new. It reverses, especially if the OEs offer special financing or rebates. Because Fel-Pro has both, one segment offsets the other, thus the business is very stable

This year is no different. Their gaskets can be bought directly, thru auto part stores, Amazon, Summit Racing, Ebay, and Rock Auto. There may be other factors for the closing.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jcommin

This is interesting article. I worked for Fel-Pro Inc for 35 yrs. They have a very large presence in the aftermarket gasket world and a small OE presence especially the HD side. The aftermarket biz is very cyclic; busy season is typically the first 4 months of the new year. It tails off during the summer months and in the fall, production ramps up to build inventory for the new year. You can make book on this. The aftermarket spikes when there is a drop in OE sales mostly due to the economy. People will fix their car rather than buy new. It reverses, especially if the OEs offer special financing or rebates. Because Fel-Pro has both, one segment offsets the other, thus the business is very stable

This year is no different. Their gaskets can be bought directly, thru auto part stores, Amazon, Summit Racing, Ebay, and Rock Auto. There may be other factors for the closing.

Cool, I used a lot of Fel-Pro gaskets over the years!

Presumably, mechanics/shops also use a lot of Fel-Pro, so even if DIY folks aren't using them, someone is.

[slow&rusty]

Laughing how this thread turned into an "Oil Disposal Thread".

[2.7RS]

Their fault.
Oversaturation
Just like all the chain pharmacies