Advance Auto Parts Closing Hundreds of Stores; How Will it Impact Repair Shops?
Advance Auto Parts recently announced plans to close 523 corporate stores and four distribution centers—in addition to exiting 204 independent locations—by the middle of next year.
Spectrum News 1 spoke with Resch Auto Service Inc., a repair shop in Spencerport, New York, to hear how the closure of so many stores may impact them and the independent repair sector as a whole.
Advance cited a loss of $6 million in its third quarter on revenue of $2.15 billion as prompting the need for a plan for improvement. It also outlined a need to save costs for supply-chain consolidation plans, which will include converting some stores and distribution centers into market hubs.
Jeff Rodgers, a technician at Resch Auto Service for the past decade, expressed little surprise at the news.
“There was so many different parts places out there that have come and gone and we've used basically every single one of them,” said Rodgers.
Shop owner Andrew Resch, whose grandfather first started the business in the 50s, said parts prices have only ever been on the increase, and the potential closure of Advance stores in their area will only make it harder to access parts and customer service locally and in-person.
“In the auto parts or auto repair side, the most important thing that an individual can do is work with local shops,” said Resch.
For Rodgers, he often turns to websites like Amazon or eBay for his personal vehicles—but the reliability of visiting a store in-person is something that sometimes be crucial.
“I like being able to go walk into a store and talk to somebody,” said Rodgers. “That way if you have a problem, you go back and talk to that same person. They can figure out the problem and get it done right.”
The shop is waiting to hear for updates on if any Advance stores in their area will be closing. While it will pose an obstacle for the business, they also worry for consumers who may not have anywhere else to obtain automotive supplies.
“Their retail customers might not have another auto parts store close by,” said Resch. “If your car is down, it's better to have one that is real close, as opposed to having to go across the city or figure out how to get there.”
