Advance Auto Parts to close 700+ stores.

[thastinger]

When you need that part ASAP they sure come in handy.
Warranty-ing online parts is almost non-existent for online retailers.
I tried to warranty some dorman parts I bought from Amazon, they have a special number for you to call for amazon purchases, hoops to jump through, waited on a return email that never came, no record of me ever contacting them.....typical run around so you"ll give up, which I did.

I warrantied a transfer case motor controller for my truck through RA...I would have long ago lost that receipt from a local place but the purchase & date was in my RA profile. It was a bit of a PITA in the sense that I had to buy a new one, then send the old one back...if I didn't want the truck down for days...but they did refund me for the new one on the same day I shipped the old one back.

On the other hand, I ordered 8 Denso IT24 plugs from them and received 4 (one box) of obviously used ones. They also made that right but there is no excuse for that type of stuff.

 

[walterjay]

Their ridiculously high oil prices didn't help them.

 

[Mewbs]

Overpriced oils
Overpriced filters
Ghost town stores
No walk in discounts incentives

Kinda sad because some folks that work at the local AAP store are pretty cool car people but can't say for other stores where they have store employees who are absolutely clueless about automotive in general. I stop going there because they kept raising prices that they out priced themselves to the competition when AutoZone and Oriellys are selling the same stuff for much less.

 

[researcher]

I think the start of their downfall was when they bought out CarQuest then didn't allow any coupons on their batteries, this after they raised their battery prices to insane price levels. (Do they just ignore Walmart selling the same batteries 1 mile away?) Not to mention buying the DieHard brand name from Sears?! Who cares what it's called.. dumb marketing move.. And of course battery prices were higher after that trademark acquisition, make people pay for their dumb decision.

Anyone could blame the online parts retailers for Advance Auto's demise, but that's not true. Adv Auto did this to themselves! It's that simple.

 

[willbur]

Yes

Autozone here insists used oil must be returned in the original containers. It thinks ppl are disposing of unallowed chemicals in distilled water gallon containers but ppl would not do this if using the original oil containers. Some strange logic here

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Autozone here insists used oil must be returned in the original containers. It thinks ppl are disposing of unallowed chemicals in distilled water gallon containers but ppl would not do this if using the original oil containers. Some strange logic here

Same here with AutoZone AND Advanced. They want them back in the original containers....and I've been asked for a receipt to prove I bought the oil from them! They used to have a big dumping bin you could just walk over to and dump your oil but now they want you to leave the containers so they can do it.

They won't take my 5 gallon buckets anymore.

I accumulate 20-30 gallons a year of oil. My father used to have a waste oil burner at his shop but since he retired it has made this a bit more complicated.... No way I'm going to fill up individual containers.

 

[ATex7239]

Autozone here insists used oil must be returned in the original containers. It thinks ppl are disposing of unallowed chemicals in distilled water gallon containers but ppl would not do this if using the original oil containers. Some strange logic here

Some people won’t let you dispose of old tranny fluid despite the sign out front saying “we accept used motor oil and transmission fluid.”

 

[bullwinkle]

Autozone here insists used oil must be returned in the original containers. It thinks ppl are disposing of unallowed chemicals in distilled water gallon containers but ppl would not do this if using the original oil containers. Some strange logic here

WHich stores are doing that? That's a new one! I have enough garages around here burning waste oil that I'm sure I could find someone that could use it, if it came to that. Heck, AZ used to GIVE AWAY those black Blitz used oil jugs, that's what I use.

 

[eljefino]

Ever since the CarQuest purchase.
Prices went sky high, discounts became minimal.

This is how capitalism works... they offered the coupons for a few years to grow their business and choke out the competition, who they then took over. Retail businesses have two phases-- name recognition and growth, and en-"poop"-ification, where they coast on previous habits and reputations. We can guess where they are now.

Advance was perfectly described as an automotive convenience store-- yeah the product is only acceptable in price and quality, but they're a bike ride away, and open until 9pm.

 

[fdcg27]

AAP and the other chain parts stores don't exist for you and me. They exist mainly to serve local shops.
That's where the money is. Our business is no more than a sideline and the number of those who DIY anything is declining all the time.
You and me used to order stuff online for pickup using a coupon code that saved us lots of coin. No longer available.
Storefronts in locations with limited shop purchasing will close, simple as that.

 

[jetman]

There's a new AAP opening here.

 

[svtrit]

We have an Oreillys, Autozone and Advance Auto next to each other on each corner of an intersection. I used to be fully AA, but recently found OReillys to have much better service. Pricing is similar. Autozone has been good, but is actually the tougher if the 3 to get in an out of.

Interestingly, our Oreilly’s is almost fully staffed by women. They are very knowledgeable about cars and have a much better attitude than all the boys at Advance. Autozone has older men who are OK to work with.

I’m done with RA. Had enough of them shipping wrong parts. Twice is enough. It’s a recent phenomenon too. My tool box is covered with magnets from years of ordering. Lately it’s been very poor service from Rock Auto, in my opinion

 

[meep]

I wondered if some of it is a falling off of the DIY crowd.

Also, so many parts are oem only, or the aftermarket simply doesn’t support it, or support it well. Who wants a stant thermostat anymore? Or a Monroe shock? You can’t trust hardly any reman starters, alternators, etc.. it’s hard to be an AAP anymore.

I found their general quality similar to AZ and above o Reilly’s. O’reillys outdid them on pricing. On commodities like oil, Walmart wins every time right now, and Walmart can deliver to my door same-day, probably sending a runner from the closest store.

I stopped shopping at AAP when they stopped offering the discount punch card, and told them so. The cashier said she’d heard that a lot, but she didn’t get to make the decisions. We understood.

AZ charges a lot too, but the ones in my area tend to be better run. I’m glad to have them.

 

[nwjones18]

I used AAP a good bit back when they had the 40 off 100 coupons. That actually made them a good deal for a variety of things. Lately their 15% off coupons are just enough to get them down to autozone/oreilly's normal price and I don't have to play the game if I just skip AAP. Very rare I'm getting parts at local stores anyway. Last time I was in the middle of rear brakes and realized I needed parking brake shoes which I hadn't ordered. Is nice to have local options in those situations.

 

[Omahaug]

This is one of those things I always thought about, every time I go into an AAP they're usually empty or just have one or two customers, I always wondered when those stores were going to close.

Now I'm wondering if the ones near me are going to be on that list...

 

[RDY4WAR]

There's only one AAP within 30 miles of me, and you rarely see one or two cars there. My wife works at O'Reilly's, and they stay busy. I haven't been in an AAP in years.

 

[TomYoung]

Oil is another catastrophe. $10-15/5qt for the exact same oil as Walmart. Think what you want, but why would you waste money. Walmart oil is perfectly fine.
I find that to be true also but when they have a bundle deal, I get a filter for free and then a SpeedPerks coupon for $5.00 on the next purchase. Plus they take my used oil with no hassle what so ever. When all is said and done it's the same price or better as Walmart.

A couple of years ago, my wife and daughter went to the Taylor Swift concert at MetLife Stadium here in NJ on a Sunday night. About 6 pm, they call me and tell me the battery went dead and nothing works and the windows are down. Being a good husband and father, no choice but to try to get a battery, shoot over to the stadium and change it out so I can go home and sleep in peace without worrying. So, I gather some tools, my son, some cash in case I have to try to bribe my way into the stadium parking lot and off we go to Advance, thankfully still open at 7 pm on a Sunday, to buy a battery. When I gave him the car info and tell him my tale of woe, he tells me there are two different size batteries for that car, do I know which one is in there. Nope, not a clue. This guy offers to sell me one of the batteries but let me take both so I know one will fit. He was literally going to let me walk out with a $200.00 battery without paying. I told him that was very generous of him but I need to pay for both and I'll bring the un-needed one back for a refund. I don't know if he was being foolish, or kind of old school, but I thought the offer was pretty neat. Got to the stadium, Troopers let me right in, empty spot right next to my wife's car, 10 minutes to swap out the battery and just as soon as I closed the hood, Taylor was taking the stage, the roar of the crowd was deafening! My son and I hung around for the next 20 minutes or so listening to the concert and then, off we went heroically, with the help of Advance Auto Parts, into the night.

That employee did you a solid, but you are out of your mind if you consider AAP oil prices as equivalent or comparable to Walmart or Amazon. Those companies have a broad range of filters below ten dollars, and cheap Supertechs and Frams under five. They also have five quart jugs of branded synthetic for 22, and less for Supertech. AAPs gag is a jug and a filter for 38 to 40 dollars. Typically the guy behind the counter knows nothing, or less.

 

[Dave P.]

That employee did you a solid, but you are out of your mind if you consider AAP oil prices as equivalent or comparable to Walmart or Amazon. Those companies have a broad range of filters below ten dollars, and cheap Supertechs and Frams under five. They also have five quart jugs of branded synthetic for 22, and less for Supertech. AAPs gag is a jug and a filter for 38 to 40 dollars. Typically the guy behind the counter knows nothing, or less.

Typically I buy Pennzoil Platinum and Fram Ultra or Fram Titanium. I'm not interested in buying a cheap filter or "cheap" oil so let's compare apples to apples;
Walmart - Oil is probably $24.00 + filter $9.00 = $33.00 The Walmart by me also doesn't take oil.
AAP - Oil is $37.00 + filter on bundle is N/C $0.00 - Speedperks rebate $5.00 = $32.00 plus I recycle my used oil while I'm there which to me is a service they provide to me for free.
My numbers could be off a couple of bucks either way because I haven't bought at Walmart for a little while but feel free to tell me where my calculations are wrong.

 

[Dave P.]

Autozone here insists used oil must be returned in the original containers. It thinks ppl are disposing of unallowed chemicals in distilled water gallon containers but ppl would not do this if using the original oil containers. Some strange logic here

Many years ago I needed a new container to use for recycling my used oil. The only thing I found in the parts store was a 5 gallon blue metal kerosene can. I buy it, go home and dump all my misc containers of oil into it and go back to the same store. Tell the counter guy I have oil to recycle and he won't take it. I ask why and he tells me it's because it's in a kerosene can so that means it might contain kerosene. He was the same guy who sold me the can 20 minutes ago but he holds firm. I leave the can on the counter while I go buy a can of black spray paint. I bring my kerosene can and spray paint home, paint the blue can black, wait a half hour or so for it to mostly dry and go back to the store. Same guy then takes and dumps my oil like nothing ever happened. If you have somebody that is going to sneak in brake fluid, gas, anti-freeze, whatever into the recycled oil, the type of container isn't going to change a thing.

 

[Egg_Head]

This is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, YTD AAP stock is down -32%, while ORL and AZO are up +29% & +21%. I hope they can make it work.