Auto parts stores.

The post in the tool forum regarding machine shops and the complexity on newer engines had me thinking about the long term lifespan of auto parts stores. It seems that every town or city has 3 or more Autoparts stores. If fewer people are doing there own repair work can these stores survive. In 10 - 20 years will the newer generation not be able to repair their own automobiles and tractors?

Not to start anything but in my area I see more and more minority people doing these do it yourself repairs..I'm instilling hard work in education in my boys so they can pay some one to do their work to keep blue collar workers like their dad busy.

Even with the complexity of modern engines and electronic systems, there is still plenty of repair work to be done on today's cars. They still have brakes, shocks, mufflers, alternators, starters, fan belts and the like to be maintained or replaced from time to time. A good bit of that is DIY possible. As complex as the car gets, even a DIYer can hang a set of brakes or hammer a muffler on and off.
Many parts of modern cars are user serviceable. Since engines are running 200,000 miles or better, cars will also need more brakes, suspension, and electrical (not to be confused with electronic) services.

Maybe it's just me but it seems like back in the day, parts stores sold parts. Most of them had a few bar stools at the counter and the area that was in front had a pile or two of cased oil, anti-freeze, HY-Tran, etc. and some freight that was going or coming. Now the stores have parts in the back while out front looks like a J.C. Whitney store come to life. I believe they have expanded inventory to stay attractive to more customers. gm

I can agree with that. Go to AutoZone or Advanced and they are in the parking lot. Go to Napa, the shop owners are out there getting parts.(No prejudiced intended) Had an Ohreallys open here in town, figured the local guy would close within months. He was open and busy every day for 8 months or so before he died, and he had more customers than OhReallys.

They supply parts for repair shops. Look at those standing around in those stores, almost all have the name of the shop or their name embroidered on their shirts. When you get your car from the repair shop the parts markup is for two stops, the auto parts store and the repair shop. And you thought is was cheaper to go to the repair shop.

A lot of fixes you can do, also the magic scanner box will help a lot too. Just did a coil pack on the Explorer. At the Auto Zone they plug in the box. Box said [ misfire cyinder seven - start up - 1000 RPM } Grab a 9mm socket and some silicon grease and TA DA. Beauty Now when you were raised on a dairy farm and if it broke you fixed it, well you know.

I think they change there products or business model as needed. Sure some may go out and you have the online ones too.

(quoted from post at 10:23:19 02/05/16) I think they change there products or business model as needed. Sure some may go out and you have the online ones too.

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Most of the parts stores in my area deliver to various repair shops making it convenient for the repairman not wasting time running back and forth.

Gary, I know the feeling! I see all that junk on display, but I don't see many people buying it.

I know it wasn't an auto supply, but the other day I needed a power door lock for my wife's Honda. Went to the local dealer, asked for the parts department. They pointed me to a 4 foot long polished granite counter top, said "Parts" on a little desk sign.

All the floor space around it was occupied with over priced junk accessories. There were no greasy parts, no leaky batteries sitting around, no parts sitting out waiting to be picked up, no girly calendars, not even a curled up plastic place mat to lay parts on!

Finally the same dude I asked where the parts dept was got up from his desk and strolled over. He looked like something that would be seen in a San Francisco poetry bar! Told him what I needed, got the thousand yard stare...

He finally got on the computer, walked over and sat back down. I stood there a few minutes, went and asked him again. He said it's coming. Finally someone in a shop uniform came out, gave him the part. They conversed for a few seconds, occasionally glancing my way, both appeared confused.

I finally got my part, but it was very obvious... Rarely does someone come in anymore and actually ask for a part other than a floor mat or fuzzy steering wheel cover!

We run 5 Navistar heavy hauler trucks from this farm. All are less than 1- years old but our parts bill is still several dollars a month just for odds and ends. Most time if we have time call and they deliver here to the shop with in two days. The other day we had a heated mirror that was bad, so I called in an order. Dealership is 38 miles from shop and day or two latter I was close so thought I would save them the delivery. Went in as you say No real parts counter just dudes behind desk. Ask about the mirror. O yea it is here, few minutes latter another guy brings it up, hands it over to another desk he makes a ticket, then I have to walk across the hall to pay... Just seemed like in the old days sure was a lot less effort. For all the Auto-Zone, O-Riles , ect They make their money in oil, accessories, ect what parts they sell are just the fast moving break pads ect. I expect they will be there for years.

Maybe they will start selling more and more clothing like Tractor Supply.

The Orielly, Napa, Autozone, etc will last for a good long while, as long as "part swappers" are around, and don't be fooled that those are only the shade tree do it your selfers, as I have seen it in dealerships, as well as the little corner shops. Throw a few hudred in parts at it, send it down the road, and they will bring it back if it is not fixed type. Nothing upsets me more than taking a vehicle in and paying $50=$70 an hour for swapping half a dozen parts until they finally hit on the issue, or worse yet pay a huge bill and find the problem still exists. Sometimes there is more wrong when it leaves the shop than when it went in. Now, I know there are honest shops, with mechanics that know what they are doing, and stand behind their work, but they seem to be the minority today. Those auto parts stores sell a lot of parts to replace parts that are not bad to begin with, and make a killing at it.

four or five years ago we had an independent auto parts store here in town, owned and ran by a lady. She kept that place stocked with parts that people actually needed and had a black fella working in there with her. Either one of them knew just where everything was and you seldom left without the part you needed. Then she hired another guy who had no idea what he was doing. I went in there one day and asked for a set of points for a Kohler, the black guy was busy with another customer and heard me ask for points. While the new guy was looking in the parts book and telling me he would have to order the points the black guy came walking up with the points. She sold the store to napa and things really went downhill from there. So bad I started driving 12 miles when I needed parts the black guy seems to have quit he wasn't there when I went in for my final shopping trip in there a few days and it took two guys 20 minutes and no help. I found what I wanted laying on a table in the back not in a package, just laying there. Took it to the counter the guy made like he was checking the computer for the price, told me $1.87 for a 1/4" brass coupling I paid and left for the last time.

The Parts industry has changed ,big time . Started to change somewhere around 1979 . Stores used to operate with traditional pricing models. They had List price,for general public walk in customers. Then assorted discounts for shops and people in the trade. Jobber,dealer , net plus ,stocking dealer ,etc. Along comes the chain store model of buying groups @ Parts Plus, Bumper to Bumper .etc. They banked on offering a cheaper line of parts to the end user, the car owner. No longer would you go to buy parts and have to use someones account to get a better deal. Stores started changing to cater to this customer. YOu know , instead of offering a discount to the hundred regular shops in town , now you could market to thousands at what ever price you want. Offer them red box low cost part or bump them up to premium parts at higher price . Changed the industry forever . Back then there were far fewer parts to be sold . Less Manufacturers,models and options. Parts people didn't need computers then . I could rattle off carb kit numbers before the customer finished telling me what he had . I feel the frustration as a shop owner ordering parts today . A good counter person is worth his or her weight in gold . Sadly ,stores pay them peanuts. The buyout of Carquest by Advance Auto has been a headache. the CEO of Advance used to be CEO of Best Buy. Strictly a numbers guy . No idea what parts business is about . i deal with couple great parts guys everyday , I let them know how much they help me .

Wife had a 2003 Expedition, first time it had a miss, told her to take it to the dealer.

A coil and plug. $175

Said "WHAAAAAT!!??


Bought a code reader for $35, set of 8 coils off of ebay to keep on the shelf for $45, takes me 15 minutes to change one out.

Fred

That explains it.
Couple parts I needed for my Isuzu, they cost a few bucks more, but had it within 2 days.
Napa and O'Reilly's would take a week and would have shipping added on.
Napa could at least tell me what it was going to be. O'Reilly's couldn't tell me til it got here.

Last time I was in carquest it was the same as napa- be a week with shipping charges.

You remind me of 20 yrs ago when I was in college and they wanted to do away with the farm equipment repair program... and the big shots stated reason was that nobody was going to need mechanics in the future because everything would be so reliable it would never break down. Funny how that worked out....
NOBODY rebuilds engines or transmissions locally anymore. It's all handed off to specialty shops to do that work. Parts stores sell brake, suspension, electrical, exhaust and body parts along side a tool line. That's been their core business for 30 years or more now in this area and their core customer is independent repair shops.... not the weekend warrior working in the back yard.
These stores aren't going anywhere, any time soon.

Rod