AAP Fram takeover

[Ignatius]

IMO it would be out of character for them not to offer a "store brand" even Walmart offers a store brand, while still selling Fram EG. Because now you have Fram and Purolator (Mobil 1 in this umbrella) sold in stores, and the only economy option is Puro, and being a former worker of AAP I can tell you, you sell 5:1 economy vs premium (w/o oil change specials)

So why would Fram want to miss out on that market? That is what makes me think there is something ahead of the curve. But, I could be wrong, I guess time will tell.

I think AAP has shifted, in a very good way, to being price competitive with Walmart and other "cheaper" retailers with their oil change bundle program which I am a big fan of and wish that they would expand it further. My thought is that from AAP's perspective you can buy a jug of oil and an oil filter for roughly the same price or even less than what you pay for the same at Walmart. AAP also offers a variety of discounts and other promotions to sweeten the pot. If you look at the Fram Titanium or Force or even Purolator Boss those are all unique product offerings.

I think AAP is very smart in how they went about doing this and it appears that they decided to open up filter choices for most oil offerings in 2021 which I like as well instead of being forced into buying one or two specific filters to get the deal like in the past.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

I'm not saying there might/will be an AAP store brand (time will tell) ... just saying I don't think it will be an AAP store brand made by Fram since they already have all the other Fram products for sale at AAP.

Oh, so you're thinking that they might keep puro or something? To me, that'd seem odd since they are getting so close with Fram. Fram oil, Fram exclusive filters, it just seem logical they would switch the house brand to that as well.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

I think AAP has shifted, in a very good way, to being price competitive with Walmart and other "cheaper" retailers with their oil change bundle program which I am a big fan of and wish that they would expand it further. My thought is that from AAP's perspective you can buy a jug of oil and an oil filter for roughly the same price or even less than what you pay for the same at Walmart. AAP also offers a variety of discounts and other promotions to sweeten the pot. If you look at the Fram Titanium or Force or even Purolator Boss those are all unique product offerings.

I think AAP is very smart in how they went about doing this and it appears that they decided to open up filter choices for most oil offerings in 2021 which I like as well instead of being forced into buying one or two specific filters to get the deal like in the past.

I completely agree. AAP is hard to beat when it comes to oil and filters, especially with a speedperk. The only way you can beat them is with a rebate and typically AAP isnt on many rebate forms.

 

[PimTac]

Here is a article about AAP and its brand awareness strategy. The article focuses on the Diehard battery deal but the same strategy is being used for Fram.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2019/12/23/inside-the-deal-advance-auto-parts-ceo-talks-about.html

 

[ZeeOSix]

Oh, so you're thinking that they might keep puro or something? To me, that'd seem odd since they are getting so close with Fram. Fram oil, Fram exclusive filters, it just seem logical they would switch the house brand to that as well.

Who knows ... it's possible I guess. Time will tell.

 

[bbhero]

Well AAP sold Purolator Boss filters and the blue Pureone filters... The Carquest blue was essentially a Purolator Pureone. And the Carquest reds were Purolator reds essentially too.

So why would AAP not sell say a Fram Force type filter under a different house AAP name ??

I bet they could.

The Titanium will not be a house AAP filter... But.... I suspect we could see a old school type Fram Ultra style filter like those old gold Fram filters which did not have the black grip on them... That I bet may well happen.

 

[Ignatius]

Well AAP sold Purolator Boss filters and the blue Pureone filters... The Carquest blue was essentially a Purolator Pureone. And the Carquest reds were Purolator reds essentially too.

So why would AAP not sell say a Fram Force type filter under a different house AAP name ??

I bet they could.

The Titanium will not be a house AAP filter... But.... I suspect we could see a old school type Fram Ultra style filter like those old gold Fram filters which did not have the black grip on them... That I bet may well happen.

I think it is more likely that a repackaged and rebranded Fram Extra Guard becomes an AAP store brand filter. @TrainingPolicy said in their experience people buy the least expensive product offerings the most so it would make perfect sense. If we're talking bang for the buck the Extra Guard is tough to beat and Fram has seemed to have no issue using this filter (or something very similar) for OEM purposes like with Honda, Subaru, etc. The Carquest branded filters were nothing special, just cheap jobber filters or something perhaps one level above that.

 

[bbhero]

The Carquest filters were.... Purolator reds.

Carquest blues were Purolator Pureones.

Cut open filters on here proved that's exactly what those AAP filters were.... Not lower tier jobber stuff. They were not that.


In fact the old Carquest blues when made by Champion Lab were actually Mobil 1 equivalents.... The black Carquest higher tier filters were Mobil 1 equivalents too.

The exact same filters. Just different paint job/name on those cans.


Fram putting the Force in a AAP named red could happen.

Though maybe they just put a Fram EG in there like you said.

The AAP higher tier though could well be either a Fram Ultra style with no grip on it.

Or it could be the Force version...

 

[daves87rs]

AAP success is going to be based on how well they do if they are chasing the DIY market. There is a reason why O’ Reilly’s and NAPA make strong moves be in most of the local repair shops....

 

[bullwinkle]

I would hope that the Fram FPS Gold Ultra clones could be the next CQ Blue filters. The AAP DieHard brand is a bunch of marketing hype-theyre still the same (overpriced) Autocrap JC made junk they've always been, NOT the legendary East Penn made DieHard batteries of old.

 

[Sayjac]

Never commented before on the newer Fram 'made for' AAP Titanium, so I'll keep it simple. 'To me' the Titanium inlet holes design promo is simply, a gimmick. And there's no way I'd pay ~$15 when equivalent XG line in WM/Amazon ~$8.50-9 every day, XG7317 example.

As for doing away with AAP Carquest OF branded line and/or name change, no idea. As noted, always possible there may be a new manufacturer for CQ and/or a new AAP name. If it happens, then I'm sure it will show up this subforum. Personally haven't seen it yet.

 

[wdn]

It was a dumb move by Advance Auto Parts in a series of dumb moves. Rather than invest in their own CarQuest brands which would give their store some esteem and give customers a reasons to shop there, they have just thrown in the towel. Before they could keep the suppliers competing with each other to fill the contract on CarQuest parts. Now they are captive to Fram. The dumbest thing of all was inventing Fram motor oil, a company that is not even a petroleum company. They just paid for a brand like they paid $200 million to stick DieHard labels on CarQuest batteries.

 

[Ignatius]

Never commented before on the newer Fram 'made for' AAP Titanium, so I'll keep it simple. 'To me' the Titanium inlet holes design promo is simply, a gimmick. And there's no way I'd pay ~$15 when equivalent XG line in WM/Amazon ~$8.50-9 every day, XG7317 example.

It is incredibly easy to get a Fram Titanium for less than an Ultra at Walmart. If you have not figured out how to do that yet just click on the link below:

I'm shook (Fram sells oil now?)

OK then I don’t understand marketing. Thanks for that content free reply. Not that you explained this is a win either unless you think rebadged Carquest oil for $6.49 a quart on a shelf is a sales bonanza for AAP.

bobistheoilguy.com

It was a dumb move by Advance Auto Parts in a series of dumb moves. Rather than invest in their own CarQuest brands which would give their store some esteem and give customers a reasons to shop there, they have just thrown in the towel. Before they could keep the suppliers competing with each other to fill the contract on CarQuest parts. Now they are captive to Fram. The dumbest thing of all was inventing Fram motor oil, a company that is not even a petroleum company. They just paid for a brand like they paid $200 million to stick DieHard labels on CarQuest batteries.

Correct me if I am wrong but weren't Carquest brand products just common brand products sold under the Carquest label? Like for example Carquest oil filters were actually rebranded Purolators or Carquest oil was rebranded Amalie oil. It sounds like you just want to grind an axe with Fram for some unknown reason.

 

[wdn]

Carquest oil filters were from multiple suppliers therefore Advance Auto Parts could renegotiated suppliers at any time. They were good quality filters. Fram is just a brand name not an oil company. For the oil it is probably still Amalie going into bottles labelled Fram. It's for the oil filters that AAP lost leverage by ditching their house brand for Fram. I write what I write and don't have to explain it to any of you. You're all just words on the screen as far as I am concerned.

 

[Sayjac]

Since the subject of AAP Titanium (~$15) comparison to Walmart/ Amazon (~$8.50), everyday pricing currently accurate as posted. Being very well aware AAP codes since their inception and oft posting on promo board over the years, the max now if it can be found is 25%, and generally now $15 min purchase. Even if found still makes AAP purchase ~$2.50-$2.75 more than everyday off WM shelf price (XG7317), or current Amazon purchase. The latter can be reduced even more with Sub&Save if one chooses.

Further, I have no interest in 'searching' for AAP "pricing errors" (as suggested in link), and consider it among other things to be a waste of time. Also before Speed Perks mentioned, that requires previous AAP purchase history and built up points to obtain. Thus not an apples to apples comparison.

As posted, using everyday AAP everyday purchase price for Titanium (~$15) and even considering codes use, still significantly more expensive than WM off shelf/Amazon XG price. So if I'm looking, I'll stick with the Ultra XG.

 

[Ignatius]

Since the subject of AAP Titanium (~$15) comparison to Walmart/ Amazon (~$8.50), everyday pricing currently accurate as posted. Being very well aware AAP codes since their inception and oft posting on promo board over the years, the max now if it can be found is 25%, and generally now $15 min purchase. Even if found still makes AAP purchase ~$2.50-$2.75 more than everyday off WM shelf price (XG7317), or current Amazon purchase. The latter can be reduced even more with Sub&Save if one chooses.

Further, I have no interest in 'searching' for AAP "pricing errors" (as suggested in link), and consider it among other things to be a waste of time. Also before Speed Perks mentioned, that requires previous AAP purchase history and built up points to obtain. Thus not an apples to apples comparison.

As posted, using everyday AAP everyday purchase price for Titanium (~$15) and even considering codes use, still significantly more expensive than WM off shelf/Amazon XG price. So if I'm looking, I'll stick with the Ultra XG.

That's cool, I have only purchased Fram Titanium 9688 series filters which happen to be among the most expensive series of filters that are commonly available from Fram. The Ultra XG9688 normally sells for $11+ at my local Walmart, Meijer, Fleet Farm, etc so with the AAP discounts I can easily break even or perhaps even beat the Ultra price at the other retailers. If we're talking AAP oil change bundles than the total cost of a jug of oil and a Titanium filter can easily be purchased for lower than the other retailers.

To each his own