Will auto parts stores survive?
Community
With all the retailers going bust it got me to thinking about the auto parts stores. Just used Amazon Tuesday after five PM when my lawnmower broke. I jumped online and had the replacement part the next day. How in the world will any retailer be able to compete with next day delivery?
I did call a local mom and pop shop in hopes to get my lawnmower fixed that day. Gave the guy on the phone the part number, he said I'll research it, and call me back. I waited 20 minutes and ordered from Amazon. He returned my call at 8:20 that night. I didn't even take the call.
Some of those stores let use tools for free so that’s a feature in there favor. In this area the individually owned parts stores have mostly been replaced by the national chain stores.
So you called the local mom & pop and asked them to do something for you and waited a whole 20 minutes before using Amazon and then did not have the courtesy to take their call, priceless.............
I hope they don’t close up in my lifetime. :-)
Oil etc.shipped though Amazon?
Uh Slade I give him the part number, what in the world did he need to research? His computer should have told him instantly if he had it or not. As well as who in the world needs over three hours to research and call back at 8:20 at night. So ya PRICELESS
your lucky you got a call back at all....
Axle for my ‘12 JD gator 425$ from John Deere dealer. Same exact axle on amazon, 125$
Auto parts stores will exist for as long as there is a segment of society that has no idea what part they need, or how to fix it. Most guys here probably have a pretty good mechanical background and feel comfortable with ordering online and fixing themselves...BUT LOOK AROUND, how many younger Americans do you see with that same level of mechanical aptitude? NOT MANY! When I was a kid I was always on my dad's shirttails wanting to see how things got fixed, what tools he used, hear the cuss words when he cut a finger or banged his head on the driveshaft. I doubt most kids today even know what the inside of a garage or tool chest looks like..
In short, auto parts stores will be around for as long as cars are.
People that don't know how to fix stuff aren't going to be using the parts stores either. So the choice will be whether the mechanics go to the parts store or order the parts online themselves. Amazon isn't always the cheapest thing going for a lot of things these days. Everybody looks at them as a one stop shop. I see their prices creeping towards that of other retailers, but a lot of people just assume they are the cheapest. There are definitely times when they are though.
I'm always price shopping, just last week I ordered parts from advanced auto parts store. I had a coupon code.
Retailers anxiety levels had to go up last week when Amazon announced next day for prime. Even mechanics have got to be doing some of their business with Amazon just for being able to get parts quickly.
I'm not knocking mom and pop stores at all. I'm just wondering how long they can still compete.
A lot of stuff is right there. Special tools. Assistance.
Between them and you tube I fix all kinds of stuff.
I ordered a few parts lately that were supposed to be the right ones based on make and model etc. But when they arrived, they were the wrong parts. To send back means trip to town (over 15 miles one way) to the post office, after the hassle of getting the authorization. Do you really save money that way? At least with the local stores you can look and see for sure. Some things I order, some I go to brick and mortar for.
scrappy - So what was the part, and what did it cost?
I dont know... With the complexity of parts and options, one would think that they could only have so much on hand... Which may allow for online options to take hold, as they could have a centralized facility ready to unload any part any time to arrive in a day or two.
I hope not though. I think local shops are a big value, for anything from auto's to fishing to plumbing to whatever.
You may pay more, but get to support a fellow community member, and in most cases get knowledgeable help to figure things out.
I'm the least mechanical guy you could imagine.
So now that 'mobile auto service and repair' outfits are widely available, I get most of what I need done by a guy who comes to my home and does the work here.
Now THAT'S convenience.
Considering the average automotive knowledge of the clerks behind the counter, it wouldn’t surprise me to see most auto parts stores go away. Most of these clowns don’t know a spark plug from a oil filter.
Matt
Autos, yeah, they'll take a ding but likely will stay around.... if they have the inventory. Getting parts NOW has it's advantages, especially for cars that might be down.
I buy a lot of parts, a good amount of it Amazon. I do $400-$500 a month with them, but sometimes Amazon isn't the better deal and you'd better know EXACTLY the part you need. Circuit boards, etc. can look pretty similar in pictures and not work at all for your equipment when you get them. Online can get you some great deals though, especially if someone somewhere has inventory they want/need to get rid of.
Very few of the parts I need are available locally. Even many dealers don't stock part inventory. So the hunt is on.
Much like Cabelas has little of the gear I'm looking for these day, smaller niche online stores carry it. Online has opened up the world to these specialists that were unavailable... or unreachable.... before.
The brilliance of Amazon and others is that they've been able to connect with the universe of who has what in stock and where.
That means they can be a significant part of the sales and marketing team for companies big and small.
I can't tell you how many times I've ordered something online and had it in my hands the next day.
Old hunter it was a belt pulley on the deck. Sears direct is where I got the part number and a list price was 40 something. I got it off Amazon for 13 and change. If the local shop would not had to go research it and told me he had it in his hand I would have paid 25 for it.
I'm also one of the guys putting mechanics out of business. I have saved myself thousands by using YouTube.
If you’re talking about mower parts, partstree.com should have anything you need for a specific mower. With schematics too.
If you think you can do better on the price, at least you can get parts number and other pertinent info off their site.
I’ve never known napareilyzone to stock pullys for mower decks anyway.
One benefit of your local auto parts is if you get the wrong part or have a warranty issue with a part, it's easy to take it back and get another part. I got a part a few months back from Rock Auto and had to send it back as the item description was inaccurate. I lost money on that as the return shipping was spendy due to the weight....front hub assemblies.
Also keep in mind alot of folks do not have credit/debit cards and can't order online so they have to use cash locally.
I use local and online. If it's Saturday and I need to repair something that just happened, I try local so I can get it done. I just put a flywheel, clutch and slave cylinder in a 40 year old bale stacker. Runs a Ford commercial V8 361(really just a 351) with a 4 speed. Local guys were great helping sort out the right stuff.
Rock auto has great prices but you need to check every part right away. They ship the wrong stuff occasionally.
I try try to use my local auto parts stores as much as possible, especially the local NAPA guys. There are couple of old codgers in there that are retired mechanics and know every inch of that store and possibly your vehicle. May pay a little extra but they are usually pretty good about having what I need for my 2003 Yukon. I have to do a whole front end linkage replacement pretty soon and will probably get most of those online as it will save me a couple of hundred dollars.
Jim, Look into 1A Auto when you do.
Needed a headlamp for my car today. Needed it now, to avoid the dreaded "Fix It" ticket.
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Autozone 4 miles away, drive there, bought the head lamp, installed the head lamp in the parking lot to ensure it was good, drove home. Total time about 20 minutes.
I sure hope they don't go away.
