Parts stores becoming a thing of the past?

[bkt]

I stopped by a nearby Pep Boys and found their store was completely empty - no product, no shelves. They only do service, now. Two other guys came in while I was there and were also surprised at the development.

I'm feeling pretty motivated to top off my wish list of things to keep on hand.

 

[Tirediron]

With the spotty supply thing , I have been doubling up on maintenance parts, like filters etc. cause who knows if they will be available, and they will prolly be more expensive even if they are available.

 

[hiwall]

We had 2 parts places in our small local town and this summer they built a new 3rd place. Everyone around here is too poor to ever buy a new vehicle.

 

[Supervisor42]

I stopped by a nearby Pep Boys and found their store was completely empty - no product, no shelves. They only do service, now. Two other guys came in while I was there and were also surprised at the development.

I'm feeling pretty motivated to top off my wish list of things to keep on hand.

People have gotten too lazy to even drive to a parts store.
They just punch their phone and it shows up on their front porch the next day.
Everything is online.
And most people today only have the brainpower to change a floormat anyway.
Think you can go to your local Radio Shack® store and pick up some resistors and transistors?
No.
The same future awaits the auto parts stores.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Little town down the road quite a ways has 6 parts stores that I know about but only one garage. There is also a huge inventory of really old rusted out pick up trucks on the roads. Rural people keep things a long time and fix them.

 

[backlash]

Think you can go to your local Radio Shack® store and pick up some resistors and transistors?

I miss Radio Shack. They weren't the best electronic supply store and their workers weren't the sharpest people but I could usually buy what I needed.
Radio Shack helped me get several CT scanners back up and working.
There is NO place locally for me to buy electronic parts.

 

[Patchouli]

Lots of do-it-yourselfers around here. We've got two chain places for auto parts in our little town, the next town to the west has the same. To the southwest, to the southeast, same. Always busy too. I didn't know you could get parts at Pep Boys, there's one not far from here.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

I work part time in retirement to help supplement our meager income.
I worked for three years at Advance Auto Parts as a delivery driver.
I'm now in my second year with O'Reilly as a driver. Better pay, better run company.
Our one stop light town has zero parts stores. The next town down the line has Advance, O'reilly, and Auto Zone.
The next town up the line has Advance and O'Reilly.

Our O'Reilly store consistently is one of the top performers in our district. I'd say our sales are 60% commercial and 40% DIY customers.

 

[Bacpacker]

O Reileys is a much better store IMO. On par with NAPA, but much better prices.

 

[Spikedriver]

O'Reilly's does real well in my area. I get a discount through my employer so that's where I buy my stuff. Advance isn't quite as strong, and NAPA can be hit or miss. I think all the farmers keep the parts stores humming along nicely around here. Another one we have is Arnold's. Most of the mom n pop repair shops use them because they do same day delivery.

 

[Alaskajohn]

I‘m doing my best to create my own “parts store” in my outbuildings. I just need to better organize things, as some of the buildings are a bit hard to get to in the winter.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

As far as employees go, O’Reilly is far above Advance.
They treat their workers better, and even the drivers get a monthly commission based on store sales.
We were open during the COVID shutdown as an “essential business “, and corporate gave out “Covid bonuses “ to each worker, based on pay rate and hours worked.

In our local area if someone orders a part we do not have on the shelf, we can have it in-store in 2 hours from our hub in the nearby city.
I deliver to regular repair shops, as well as horse and cattle ranches, bulldozer/tractor/large truck shops.
I’m in-town and just as often on country back roads.
Perfect part time job for a retired country boy.

 

[Aklogcabin]

I know some don't train their employees well. I called autozone for a v belt for riding mower. 5/8"x65". For price and availability. Guy says I have to bring in the old belt so he could match it. To the specs. I gave him the size or specs. He had no idea what I was saying. If they can't match make model serial number your out.
There are still good parts counter guys that know how to read a micrometer that always sat below the counter

 

[dademoss]

PEP boys here went under. Probably 12+ parts stores within 5 miles of where they were located, they couldn't compete. If I need something I order from Rock Auto, I have spare vehicles and can wait if I need to.

 

[Patchouli]

Huh. @dademoss My husband bought stuff from Rock Auto. I recall coming across a box and receipt t’other day from that place. Other than that, never heard of it. Is it specialty, or just decent parts for most vehicles? He was getting stuff for his VW.

 

[Supervisor42]

Huh. @dademoss My husband bought stuff from Rock Auto. I recall coming across a box and receipt t’other day from that place. Other than that, never heard of it. Is it specialty, or just decent parts for most vehicles? He was getting stuff for his VW.

People have gotten too lazy to even drive to a parts store.
They just punch their phone and it shows up on their front porch the next day.
Everything is online.

Rock Auto is an online parts store, not a local auto parts store. And it will be the death of many lame auto parts stores.

 

[Bacpacker]

Rock Auto = TERRIBLE commercials.

 

[Patchouli]

Good to know, @Bacpacker
I trust your opinion and will let that suffice. Thx for the warning.

 

[Bacpacker]

I've never used them, but they seem to have a good reputation. I'm sure putting the hurt on some stores.
I say an add here while back for another online store that caters to the Hot Rodders. We used to have 2 stores in the big city that was nothing but hot rod parts. I know they have both been gone for years. I heard a few years ago there was a new place, but have no idea if they are still open or anything about them.

 

[dademoss]

Rock Auto = TERRIBLE commercials.

Yep, bad commercials, but they deliver the parts for less than local clowns. Even the local NAPA has slid down to almost useless. " we can have it here in 2 days". Hell, so can I.

 

[Supervisor42]

Yep, bad commercials, but they deliver the parts for less than local clowns. Even the local NAPA has slid down to almost useless. " we can have it here in 2 days". Hell, so can I.

Their commercials are aimed at the current 'smartphone-junkie' generation.
Simple block-drawn cartoons are all they need to connect to those.
Notice the commercial that shows the parts showing up with a fast-food burger and fries on the side.
This is the future.

 

[SLADE]

I had to buy a fan motor for a little kia.
local advance auto $126
jc whitney online 28 bucks.
I like my money in my own pocket.

 

[viking]

People have gotten too lazy to even drive to a parts store.
They just punch their phone and it shows up on their front porch the next day.
Everything is online.
And most people today only have the brainpower to change a floormat anyway.
Think you can go to your local Radio Shack® store and pick up some resistors and transistors?
No.
The same future awaits the auto parts stores.

Sad to say but as far as I know, there are no more Radio Shack stores open here in southern Oregon, I thought they all got fazed out. When I was in my teens, electronics was a hobby and there were a lot of good electronics catalogs available for getting parts, I don't think any of them are available these days.

 

[Neb]

Sad to say but as far as I know, there are no more Radio Shack stores open here in southern Oregon, I thought they all got fazed out. When I was in my teens, electronics was a hobby and there were a lot of good electronics catalogs available for getting parts, I don't think any of them are available these days.

Remember Tandy?

I purchased all of the switches for my first "computer" ( my teacher declared it a computer and gave me an A) from them 50 years ago.

Ben

 

[Bacpacker]

Sad to say but as far as I know, there are no more Radio Shack stores open here in southern Oregon, I thought they all got fazed out. When I was in my teens, electronics was a hobby and there were a lot of good electronics catalogs available for getting parts, I don't think any of them are available these days.

Mouser, Newark, Digi Key. Just like Auto Parts, electronics have went on line too.

 

[joel]

In the last 48 months I have been in five different name brand parts stores. Last time was 8/2021. I have found everything I needed, not shelves where low or empty. I had to order a few thing, but most where in stock in one of the four store in a twenty mile radius.
I see no sign of a shortages in auto stores, now it may hit us tomorrow, but as of now, higher prices & new faces at the counter is the only change here.

 

[backlash]

I went to Radio Shack looking for a 10 µf capacitor. The kid handed me a 10 millifarad capacitor. I said no a 10 µf. He said "we changed the symbol". I asked him if the rest of the world knew radio shack had done that. He was lost. I got his manager and had no luck with him either.
I had a kid at Cabela's ask me if I had put in the correct fuse for my fish finder. He said I needed to use a 10 watt fuse. Him I called an idiot and told his boss he needed to go back to selling woman's shoes

 

[Bacpacker]

Those folks aren't happy when you horse laugh them. Specially when some of their posse is in earshot