Auto parts commercial accounts

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D60

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Searched but couldn't find any similar threads except for 2007 from @Pablo about Amsoil.

When it comes to commercial accounts, does anyone have preferences between O'Reilly, AutoZone, NAPA (or others like AAP)?

Better promotions or pricing? Better resources on their pro site? Something else? I realize some if it is very local based upon how a store is managed, so asking more about the corporate system overall.
 
Autozone for me. I have several accounts but for the last year I have been 100% AZ whenever possible. Just a few reasons:

1. I get a rebate check every month for purchases - average rebate is $550 so real money
2. They stand behind their parts and me - the pay labor claims within 24 hrs with no issues
3. They provide a nationwide warranty on my work that my customers love
4. They give me a lot of free stuff lol
 
Pablo said:
NAPA can be great. But wow PRICES. See what discount level you can get. EDIT: Some stores are great, some suck, even within a 10-20 mile radius, ownership I suppose.

AZ is best balance

O'Reilly was OK when it was Shucks, but.....seem limited
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Most of the time - but just had AZ pads not fit and no AZ in sight
Napa brake pads were $10 more - fit like a glove …
 
Autozone's webpage is nicer and it is substantially easier to print invoices when needed. We don't have a NAPA or AAP and the CarQuest here doesn't do online anything. Also an honorable mention for Parts Authority purely for the multitude of brands they carry. The parts navigation is clunky.

My only complaint about them is the rep will come in and awkwardly stare at me while I try to help techs and answer phone calls, like dude read the room.
 
CDX825 said:
Oreillys commercial accounts are a joke or at least they were when I worked there 10 years ago. Prices were never much cheaper on anything if they were cheaper at all.
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We had a customer bring in one of those Jeep Wagoneer things with a 6.4 and wanted to wait for the oil change. Autozone charged us $11.26/qt for M1 0W40. If anyone had bothered to give me a heads up I could have sourced it cheaper, but no-one plans ahead anymore I guess. OReillys was around $12/qt
 
D60 said:
Searched but couldn't find any similar threads except for 2007 from @Pablo about Amsoil.

When it comes to commercial accounts, does anyone have preferences between O'Reilly, AutoZone, NAPA (or others like AAP)?

Better promotions or pricing? Better resources on their pro site? Something else? I realize some if it is very local based upon how a store is managed, so asking more about the corporate system overall.
Click to expand...
I remember when my wife’s uncle ran a shop. They had parts delivered from the dealers on account, and I got the impression it was 50-60-% off list. But I actually think it’s cost plus a %, not % off list, like retail or web. I find that today it’s not as easy to get 30%+ off like it was 15 years ago. It can be done but lots of time dealers are 20-22%

Edit btw I know my Japanese indie uses WorldPac.
 
Yup we get a minuscule discount if at all with oreillys, the only thing helping them is they're down the street, & really good customer service/help if something messes up. Autozone is OK, they’re a little farther away.

Started using XL parts & they can get a lot more OEM stuff & a better aftermarket selection with better prices.
 
FVP around here... the old Auto Plus. The prices are decent but the service is... eh? Maybe that is the trade off.

NAPA also, prices are decent.

Both take forever for delivery. 9/10 times its 'cause they don't have the parts. All the time, trying to get into FVP managers head -- "Dude this is the hood, seriously you need to stock GM Ecotec or 3.6 CUV/car, Impala, GMT800/GMT900, Chrysler 3.6, 5-10 year old Hyundai and Kia." Kinda sad to have to wait 3 hours for an oil/filter or pads for a 2010 Yukon.
 
John105 said:
I remember when my wife’s uncle ran a shop. They had parts delivered from the dealers on account, and I got the impression it was 50-60-% off list. But I actually think it’s cost plus a %, not % off list, like retail or web. I find that today it’s not as easy to get 30%+ off like it was 15 years ago. It can be done but lots of time dealers are 20-22%

Edit btw I know my Japanese indie uses WorldPac.
Click to expand...
All of my wholesale is either 20 or 25% off list, even for collision. We make significantly more selling parts under Ford warranty now that the laws changed so we don't have to kowtow to the big collision centers for 5% profit and a 45% return rate. We still have some accounts that are on charge, but most we have moved to COD because we got tired of chasing money.
 
Have NAPA account but don't see any discount off the prices online so only use it a few times a year. Have a WorldPac account which is a subsidiary of Advance Auto so no need for an account at AA since they are so over priced to begin with, any commercial discount is worthless if the price is still higher than elsewhere. Autozone is pretty much the same as Advance to me, usually last resort place to buy. I get 35% off at some dealers so OEM parts are sometimes cheaper than aftermarket, but Rock Auto, Ebay and Amazon are where I buy most parts.
 
Our shop is affiliated with both Napa and Auto Value, a midwest independent chain. Both allow us to offer nationwide 3/36 warranty and are easily the fastest deliverers, with AV usually being least expensive, followed by Napa, whose prices seem to fluctuate based on number of dollars spent in a month. As far as I know Napa pays the shop back a rebate, not sure on Auto Value. O'reilly is nearby and has good stock, but their prices are usually higher and their labor warranty sucks, so that basically exempts them from high cost or high labor jobs. We have access to to others, but the only other one that gets used with any regularity besides OE is Worldpac.
 
redhat said:
FVP around here... the old Auto Plus. The prices are decent but the service is... eh? Maybe that is the trade off.

NAPA also, prices are decent.

Both take forever for delivery. 9/10 times its 'cause they don't have the parts. All the time, trying to get into FVP managers head -- "Dude this is the hood, seriously you need to stock GM Ecotec or 3.6 CUV/car, Impala, GMT800/GMT900, Chrysler 3.6, 5-10 year old Hyundai and Kia." Kinda sad to have to wait 3 hours for an oil/filter or pads for a 2010 Yukon.
Click to expand...
Napa here is terrible. I needed some rotors turned and needed them back asap so i could put the truck back together by 4p. They only jave 1 truck and he only cones our way once a day Orileys had them picked up and back to me in a couple of hours.

Napas pricing here is outrageous. often the shop discount is more than the walk in price @ orileys.
 
We have NAPA, O'Reilly, AAP, and AutoZone locally. NAPA and AAP are the only 2 I ever use. AZ and O'Reilly, are just full of kids and prices are sometimes 2x what NAPA is.
Our NAPA was locally owned and was Auto Value for many years. It was bought out by NAPA a few years ago. NAPA seems to have better parts generally. But that may just be ownership.
 
I've been working on dealership parts for going on 21 years in northern NY.
We often need to use aftermarket parts for things like used car repairs for off brands, emergency repairs when parts aren't in stock, or older cars where customers need lower prices part options.

We use Auto Value most often, good prices, large inventory and fast delivery.

We also use a regional place called United Auto supply. Low prices, huge inventory, ok delivery time.

Our local Napa is pretty wholesale friendly, but on the other side of town, so delivery often isn't quick.

O'Reilly's has a big inventory, really fast delivery, and overall great service, but often the highest prices in town.

AutoZone doesn't deliver very fast to our shop, and my techs typically aren't very impressed with the quality of their parts.
 
Aren't commercial accounts less worried about pricing rather than the quick availability of parts to get customers in an out quickly. For pricing my indy shop did a cost plus pricing model on the parts which along with a labor rate quite a bit below dealer prices worked out just fine for me as a customer.
 
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