Anything replacing Closed Pep Boys stores ?

[Saabist]

I believe The Pep Boys death spiral started when they took Manny's cigar away, and they went further down the tubes doing away with their signature art deco typeface.

The real Pep Boys, perfect place to get that ah-ooogah horn for your '49 Hudson.

 

[eljefino]

When VIP split their parts from tires & service, O'reilly's took over the parts side. It was a natural fit, though, as they weren't in New England.

I got a starter for my dodge 318 for $27 from PB, everyone else wanted $60+. Maybe that's why they weren't turning a profit, LOL.

 

[atikovi]

I never saw any difference between PB and Advance or Autozone except they do service. The only thing I would miss is their cheap $12 brake rotor turning, although it was probably 8-10 years since I've needed that.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I didn’t know they were going down hill. Hope they aren’t going to be the next Sears.

 

[PimTac]

Oh ok thanks for the info. I haven’t been up that way in a long time. Might be worth making a trip up there for. I’ll be going to Dulles soon too because my family wants to go to Sears again so we are probably going to the Dulles one.

Sears???

Must be one of the last stores open?

 

[AutoMechanic]

Sears???

Must be one of the last stores open?

Still have some left. There is some in North Carolina too which we might go to as well eventually before they are all completely gone. There is a complete list online still. There are more Sears left than their are Kmart.

 

[ctrcbob]

A few years ago, PB took over quite a few stand alone tire and repair stores. In my area, only one PB
Parts and Accessories store around. I used to love them, but then they started the “Mail in Rebate” game. It seemed that everything had a Mail in rebate. That’s when I stopped going to their stores.

Lots of stand alone tire and repair places though.

Manny, Moe and Jack would turn over in their graves.

 

[Saabist]

There was also a related auto parts and service company. In 1929 Moe's brother, Izzy Strauss, started his own auto supply store chain in Brooklyn which which ultimately became Strauss Discount Auto stores. This chain was not as large or well-known as Pep Boys but had stores throughout the Northeast and was particularly popular in the NY/NJ area. I remember old Strauss advertising from the 1960s and 1970s featuring cartoon characters that looked like the Pep Boys caricatures. (Unfortunately I have not been able to find any examples online.) Strauss Discount Auto unfortunately went bankrupt and closed down in 2012. From the wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110505064415/http://straussauto.com/sdaCompanyHistory.shtml

By the way, the "Jack" image of Manny, Moe, and Jack is actually Izzy. Jack left the company in 1927. Pep Boys kept his name but not the likeness.

What's ironic about Pep Boys transitioning to a service-only model is that they have the reputation of being one of the absolute worst places to have you car serviced. Of course that will probably vary by store, but no one that I know who has had their vehicles worked on there has had anything good to say about the experience.

 

[Snowflake White]

There was also a related auto parts and service company. In 1929 Moe's brother, Izzy Strauss, started his own auto supply store chain in Brooklyn which which ultimately became Strauss Discount Auto stores. This chain was not as large or well-known as Pep Boys but had stores throughout the Northeast and was particularly popular in the NY/NJ area. I remember old Strauss advertising from the 1960s and 1970s featuring cartoon characters that looked like the Pep Boys caricatures. (Unfortunately I have not been able to find any examples online.) Strauss Discount Auto unfortunately went bankrupt and closed down in 2012. From the wayback machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110505064415/http://straussauto.com/sdaCompanyHistory.shtml

By the way, the "Jack" image of Manny, Moe, and Jack is actually Izzy. Jack left the company in 1927. Pep Boys kept his name but not the likeness.

What's ironic about Pep Boys transitioning to a service-only model is that they have the reputation of being one of the absolute worst places to have you car serviced. Of course that will probably vary by store, but no one that I know who has had their vehicles worked on there has had anything good to say about the experience.

Wow I remember Strauss Auto Parts Stores in the Delaware Valley and Philly and burbs areas they were all over that area, when you'd listen to
the big rock and roll stations in the late 1970s and 1980s (WMMR 93.3 and WYSP 94.1 FM) they'd be running their ads all the time too. At that point they were calling themselves Strauss Discount Auto Parts. I had no idea they were related to Pep Boys which also are still all over the place in the area today.

 

[Benzadmiral]

There are supposedly 2 PBs left in the metro area here, one in the suburbs near my barber, and another in the middle of the city. I might stop at the former this weekend -- but I ought to call first, to make sure they still have detailing products.

 

[zzyzzx]

There are still a few on metro Baltimore / DC area.

 

[pantygnome]

I never saw any difference between PB and Advance or Autozone except they do service. The only thing I would miss is their cheap $12 brake rotor turning, although it was probably 8-10 years since I've needed that.

3 weeks ago I actually had Pep Boys mount and rebalance some tires for me. They were open on a Sunday, relatively inexpensive and did a good job. Would be ashame to see them go under, since most of the other alternatives around me are Firestone/Meineke/Midas type places, which seem to be very hit or miss with quality.

 

[Andrew1972]

Spirit Halloween, they like defunct retail spaces.

 

[pezzy84]

I work in commercial RE - I can say with 100% certainty that they will turn into anything the leasing agent can get in there (especially now), or they will be redeveloped. Ones with service departments have a very specific floorplan and therefore limited use outside of automotive so I imagine those will probably sit empty for a long while.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I remember buying tires there. Cornell tires and had Air Clippers on my 1936 Ford 5 window coupe that I had in high school and college. Wore like iron. Of course I wish I still had it.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I’ve always wanted to go to a Pep Boys we don’t have any here in Virginia and I have no idea where the closest one is. Had no idea they were in parts and service I thought it was just parts.

In the 1980's, there were three Pep Boys retail stores in Richmond VA.

 

[wildcatgoal]

That retail sector is RIPE for consolidation. Lord.

 

[DweezilAZ]

Ours was replaced by an apparently newly expanding to the west, Advance Auto here at the old Pep Boys store location on 22nd in Tucson.

 

[Andrew1972]

Oh ok thanks for the info. I haven’t been up that way in a long time. Might be worth making a trip up there for. I’ll be going to Dulles soon too because my family wants to go to Sears again so we are probably going to the Dulles one.

(Closed) Sears to me is the Mass Vaccination site in a few spots of my state. I just visited twice and auto department look pretty depressing, not even lifts left just a concrete shell.