New cars being all but impossible to work on doesn't help them either. We all heard the story of starters under the intake, needing to lift the engine to get the alternator out, "lifetime fluids" with no dip stick, batteries built into the rear quarter panel. For the young guy, simple diy stuff is now dealership work.
advantage of parts store was you could get it when you need it AND some had knowledgable counter people now it is hard to stock even a few things and the help only knows "but the computer says" The parts stores literally offer me nothing anymore. I can find the parts faster and for half (or less)what the parts store offers
Excellent presentation. Thank you. I tried giving my local Advance a chance many times for help and parts. Every single time I left unhappy with the staff and store. There are plenty of good options locally without subjecting myself to Advance so I just drive by them on the way to better options. If even a portion of the other Advance locations are as disappointing as mine, it is no wonder they are failing.
The majority of stores they are closing are in California along with a distribution center, which reflects on the state because it's horrible to do business there. With the EV mandate, higher minimum wage, high land cost and the poor quality and difficulty of working on newer cars. Advance is actually walking away from the entire west coast, and i don't blame them. All auto parts chains are going to struggle in the coming years, I've watched it coming on as I've been in automotive for35 years. Starting out as a mechanic but due to health issues went into the parts business for 16 years now selling to garages. We are starting to struggle and so are the garages because the newer cars are junk and too complicated. Be prepared y'all.
When I was younger I rebuilt a 65 Chevy II. Parts weren’t readily available but my local parts store guy knew enough about vehicles that he could help me with a work around. One item that comes to mind is the radiator. He knew what would fit and it was from a 74 nova with A/C. Now I can’t even buy an oil filter off of the shelf at my local NAPA I have to get an employee to get it from behind the counter. I really get tired of answering questions like “ is my wife’s Honda Accord four wheel drive?”
my one local parts store tried telling me my car had start stop technology and would need a super expensive agm battery at about 250 dollars and oil filter size on computer was completely wrong it gave me filter twice as big as one on my car
Cars with start stop have a dedicated start stop battery as a aux to the main conventional battery. Most parts people don't know what they are talking about..... 😂@@ranger178
I quit shopping with Advance when I saw the D E I poster go up. No need to give money to people who actively discriminate against people just like me. Even wrote corporate.
I have a shop, stopped doing business w/them in fall of '22 after I warned the mngr that I'm not gonna get screamed at in mexican while I'm on hold....this is America. They never changed, I never went back. AMERICA!
Had to stop shopping with them before covid. They hired a spanish female manager who had never worked with auto parts or automotive in general. She was so lost it destroyed the store. They lost every single long term employee (+10 year). It has not recovered
That's why I love my 1996 Chevy c1500! And it ALWAYS starts!! Over 200k miles... Parts are easy to find... easy to work on... only cost me $800 over ten years ago... I did rebuild the trans. Parts only cost me $300 online.
I stopped shopping there when their windshield washer fluid was more than the locally owned store. They buy it in bulk, so it should be cheaper, but it isn't.
Here in Canada, online prices including Rock Auto has priced the locals way out of the market. Granted, often you need a part fast, and local may have it. We have 2 local auto parts, but honestly the competance level has really gine down. Eaxh of our local stores has maybe 2 competant counter people, the rest know nothing and are not interested in learning. There are employees at one of the stores that have been there 15-20 years amd believe it or not, are not very good and are just stalled out and not improving. I can see our town losing one of the 2 , one has stopped opening Saturday morning and were closed at full week at Christmas. As you mention, the oil situation is ridiculous, not competitive at all. Your thoughts sir, are right on with mine.
I didn't used to worry about shopping around much but when I'm paying $60 + for windsheild wipers and $100 + for a battery at my local Advance it's time to start. I used to enjoy going to the auto parts stores, but not anymore.
I remember Advanced Discount Auto when it was just called Discount Auto. To me, nothing much changed when the name changed other than the name. The parts always seemed cheaper there than other places like NAPA, for example. When Autozone and O'Reilly's came along, I started shopping there and found their prices were higher than Advanced but some of their parts seemed to be better quality. At that point is when I pretty much stopped going to Advanced. NAPA was always kinda a last resort. Their prices were always kind of high and their service wasn't the greatest.
our business used to buy mainly from Advanced after they bought out Carquest. the store managers were always trying their best, most of the counter people were really nice and knowledgeable, but corporate idiots that had no clue were put in charge (can anyone say DEI hire?). the store managers had to beg and plead with corporate for things like decent advertising, and enough staff/delivery drivers. your accounts are your bread and butter, but the corporate folks treated us like crap, and the store manager would always have to bend over backwards to get the job done. i hate to see so many folks out of a job, it truly is a shame, as the wrong folks are ending up paying the price for mis-management.
i was a car quest manager. it was a flawed system. Mgr got paid on the profitability of their stores. if your store had a bad month or bad economy (hint), you did bad. I was hired on and my first task was to fire a full timer since my payroll was going to be over. thanks. then, i wasnt allowed to stock item i thought i could sell since i had ties to car clubs. i wasnt allowed to sell too much to one of our customers. dealer bought a pallet of freon, wanted another. corporate said no, but came down on me due to sales. stupid
Having been a driver and seeing this crap 1st hand you are 100% correct. I have a college degree and worked at Advance when in between jobs and have worked for much larger companies. You hit the nail on the head. They have some of the most inept middle management I have ever seen at any company. They know nothing about car parts or what shops deal with. The regional managers I've seen get promoted genuinely make me question humanities ability to survive, how these individuals feed themselves boggles my mind. They couldn't comprehend why an auto shop doesn't want to buy painting equipment because they would need to do massive renovations for a clean environment. Honestly if they watched Junkyard digs or Polebarn garage they'd be much better off. I can't say they hire based off of DEI in my area but, I think it's off of numbers only and how the person makes them feel. A complete lack of logic and looking at the bigger picture.
In my region, they opened a bunch of new stores in the last five years. The belt on my OBS F150 had been squealing a bit so I thought I should grab one next time I pass the new AAP in town. It was over $40. Nah, the old one can keep squealing. Paid half for a Gates belt next time I needed to make an online order for something else. Pro tip: maintain a list of future needs and nice to haves. Next time you need something now from Rock Auto, add that item to your cart then see which of the items on your list have the truck icon so you can combine shipping. Combine that with the 5% discount they sometimes have and it adds up. Also, RA is great for using up gift credit/debit cards with its multiple payment sources ability.
You hit the nail on the head about Advanced. What annoyed me the most is their online site. I needed some bulk 5/16" fuel hose to fix my wood chipper. Their online site always wants you to enter a vehicle. Generic parts are not tied to a specific vehicle. Wiper blade prices are obscene and for some reason, no one carries blade refills anymore, so you have to buy the entire blade. NFW am I going to pay $20 per blade which will only last, if I'm lucky, for a winter season.
Like most of the parts stores you go in and they will say no we dont have that part but we can order it for you i went in to one and ask for a digital timing light and the guy behind the counter asked me what year is that
I used to enjoy going to parts stores because the folks there were very knowledgeable and provided a lot of advice. Today the stores are full of high-school graduates and unable to answer questions. So now I use UA-cam and order online.
It's true! Our phones listen and respond in ads on social media or whatever. I've been talking to someone on the phone, mentioned, i hadn't seen a certian store in years... after that, i got adds! Scary.
I was a parts man for 17 years, Parts City Autoparts, we had a catalog rack, we didn’t ask what size motor for wiper blades. A good parts man/woman always has a pen and knows what a felpro VS12869 is, (SBC valve cover gaskets) or a KS2600 ! There aren't any good jobber, locally owned parts stores anymore, stores like Advance Auto parts hire people with no automotive knowledge, at all.
Advance Auto charges like a 50% premium on consumables like oil, coolant, ATF, brake fluid, light bulbs, and filters compared to Walmart. They charge a large premium on more specialized parts compared to Rock Auto, but I guess you could at least argue that you are paying for the privilege of picking it up either same day or within a day or two. I still find myself going there when I'm in a pinch and would be sad if my local one closed.
Went to a local Advance that’s closing. The line. Only two allowed into the store at a time as two exit. Maybe 10 people shopping total inside. The comments alone of those in line. 😂. Standard shelf prices are so high makes autozone look like a bargain. 50% off barely got prices even with autozone or O Reilly. $47 for a five quart jug of Mobil 1. Walmart is $26 daily. Etc. Prices are crazy. $200 for a DieHard. Went in with part numbers and got many behind the counter parts they had in stock. 80-90% off. Made it easy on the counter person.
You are an insightful, very fair, and reasonable man. Your "rants" are always based in understanding and consideration of the overall situation. I really like your style.
@@carlweitzel1753 I appreciate your response I sometimes don't get a very welcome response from some people they just understand or even care they just have to respond to me
Your right & I agree on nearly everything you talked about why they are failing. Remember the days of walking into the Auto Parts Store on a weekend & there were 8-10 guys in there getting parts to fix their car. Now you go into a parts store & it's you & 3 teenagers behind the counter that'll ask if my 2006 Buick is a diesel or if my Monte Carlo is a 2 door or a 4 door. The things I think you know & didn't mention are a couple of things. #1 is that cars just don't break that much any more & there is a lot less to go wrong & fix than there use to be in the 80's & 90's. #2 is these young people aren't like you & me when we were younger. Most of them don't have a clue how to change a tire or air filter. Forget about them even trying to fix their own car & needing a parts store. I'm an Auto Zone guy & their rewards program is simple & good. You spend over $20 & you get a point. You get 5 points & get a $20 credit. The trick is that on one visit you can buy 3 different items that are $20 or more in 3 separate purchases in the same visit & get 3 points in one day. It's a little bit of a game but I get several $20 credits a year there. When are generation is gone in 25 years people will hardly even remember auto parts stores. "On Line" has even hurt good ole fashion swap meets.
To me the rewards programs are all the same. They overcharge for stuff then give a little back to keep you “loyal “ and make you feel like you’re getting a deal. When in reality you’re just getting your own money back. For the most part the people I deal with at the local parts stores are pretty knowledgeable and helpful. Not all of them but the majority.
Great video brotha but I just want to share part of the reason the pricing is higher at a corporate auto parts store than online that most don't realize. I work at a O'Reilly store here in California the company has come up with pricing that will cover a bunch of different aspects. So as a example a part that costs $25 for them they add $15 towards salaries and overhead like rent costs and utilities then add $25 of profit and then on top of that they factor in another $25 for all of the products that get stolen from shoplifting and that's really the big one so the company doesn't have any losses and can stay in business unfortunately especially in a state like CA where shoplifting is not even punished it ends up costing the consumers more money. Online stores don't have any of that to deal with and Walmart is so large that they can push their vendors around cause it would hurt the vendors more if they don't meet Walmarts price and they get dropped by them it becomes a thing of they move so much product that even if they make very little profit they sell a ton of it and doesn't hurt them.
@wsttxC10_454 nobody wants to pay for the knowledge anymore. I challenge those with any type of automotive knowledge to apply at these automotive stores. Don't hurry. I'll wait.
Danny still works at a small local independently owned auto parts store in Melvindale. They dont get much business at all. They will probably close soon. Danny is the only employee!
A friend of mine use to be a midwest district manager for Advanced. He said Advances long term goal was to close all retail stores and go online only. Maybe that's what's happening ?
Also they font carry the good stuff in stock ex. Denso starters and alternators made in usa usually they double the price of rockauto and still takes 2-3 days to get
I stopped going to advanced when I bought a fuel pump that cost me $500 and I had to drop my fuel tank to put it in 3 days. After I put it in it stopped working so I exchanged it for another. That one lasted about 2 weeks before it went out and they would not give me my money back because I did not want another crappy fuel pump that I was going to have to drop my fuel tank to put in so I ate the $500 and went to Napa paid $700 for my fuel pump. Put it in and never had another problem
I bought a battery not long ago and he said he will install that for you for free. I said okay sounds good. The guy who tried to put it in, didn't even know what he was doing. After about five minutes of him struggling, I said, just let me do it. it was on in a couple of minutes. I knew I was screwed when I saw him using vice grips lol
I stopped in one a week back for rattle can paint and it was $3 more than autozone. There ya go. Maybe if the were competitive with pricing across the board.
You nailed it with the prices ! I can buy the same parts they sell on line for 1/2 the price & that includes shipping ! If they don't start dropping prices they will be gone , just like Trac Auto !
Because they lie to you on warranty, tell you you have life time warranty and in a they take you out of there computer so your Life time warranty will be gone,me and a manager got into a argument about it and he confess on them taking you off the computer
One thing that I think needs to be clarified is that advance carries Diehard batteries in name only. They are the same Johnson controls reman crap they always sold, not what sears use to sell. I worked for advance when the change over happened, and I was the poor s.o.b. in the back, pulling off the carquest (at the time) labels and sticking on the diehard labels.
It used to be the people at parts stores were knowledgeable and could find you something that would work, such as a carb I needed but didn't have that was rebuild and return only. Now my closest Advance hires anyone that can breathe and can't find what you need, such as a taillight socket. I found it on their website but the guy at the store said they didnt carry one for the car i needed. I just told him to go get this part number, which he did, and it was the exact part I needed.
Napa is probably the best parts store . I live in a small town with Advanced, O’Reilly, and Auto Zone. No thanks I’d rather drive 30 miles to Napa . It’s not any cheaper, but the customer service is more like what it used to be 25 years ago.
The poor employees and management not to forget dei. Their prices in the last 2 or 3 years has gone out of sight. We went to Pennsylvania the last 2 weeks advance is closing along with a dozen more in pa
Also, I think too often on later model stuff the cost of inventorying it is ridiculously high so they only have few in their warehouse to reduce operating capital. Advance , Auto Zone and O'Rielly are all competing for the same customer and the market is really shrinking . Advance and Car Quest are the same company BTW. Rock Auto is cleaning their clock with great prices and reasonably prompt delivery. Trivia for you just in case you may not remember it Auto Zone was originally called Auto Shack and was housed in the same building with Super D Drugs, I bought my very first starter there for 19.95 with core return . Thank you for doing this and saying things that need to be said, companies need to start listening to the people who buy their stuff .
Had 2 dorman shifter cables fail, I wanted a ATP cable, napa quit selling ATP hard parts..went to Advanced and they ordered the cable (5 days) it was the right one fit well- Advanced and napa deliver when they say they will, delivery is just a threat from Autozone...hafta remind and babysit orders..i am a commercial farm mechanic with 26 trucks to deal with, oh autozone is all about the spanish thing i noticed also...
They never had the parts I needed RIGHT now. As a shop owner with customers who need their vehicles asap, that doesn't work. Not to mention the prices were out of hand. O'Riley hands down, Napa is second.
I get 99% of my parts from either Rock auto or Amazon these days. 20 years ago I went to the local parts store. Get my oil from Walmart exclusively, get my filters from rock auto by the dozen
Bottom line they are too expensive. It’s cheaper to buy parts elsewhere. Even the replacement bulbs are three times higher than elsewhere. Motor oil is too high.
They treat their customers like crap! Over charging for parts. second their parts guys don't know their arse from a hole in the ground! They took over the Car quest I dealt with for decades, first thing they canceled all customer accounts, second they got rid of all the real parts counter guys that had years of experience, then hired certified idiots! No real inventory, they have to special order every thing. 3 day wait, heck I can order from Amazon and get it next day. They earned the hate.
Parts stores have to balance the lost profit from garages and fleets with the added profit of the walk in customers.wal mart doesnt discount extra to anyone...so their profit is fixed.
Back in the car quest days, they had decent prices and good quality parts. Now with advance, one gets junk Dorman garbage. Just about every Dorman part I've used, quits a year or 2 later. Those parts are almost as bad as walker exhaust systems.
I don't understand how buying the parts on the Advance website is a lot cheaper than buying it in store. I always buy online and then drive down and pick it up. The manager can't explain it to me.
The local managers do the best they can to treat employees right. On the corporate level management couldn’t care less. Still, they have great employees, they just don’t hang around long.
Mr Shed, I'm a similar age to you (this year's the big one 😢) and I see the poor quality of cheapo parts. I'm new to American cars, bought my Scamp In 2022, and the availability of stuff is pretty impressive. Places like Rock Auto sell the same parts in various price ranges, I'm not used to that with British cars - we have to source new old stock parts because it's not cost-effective to remake it in China. Cheap parts are too readily available on line, as are cheap clothing shops - you can buy a pair of Jean's in England for £8, or Levi's and Wranglers will be 60 to 100 quid. Nobody will buy the quality when the other option in ten times cheaper but may only last a year. I buy the closest to original parts when it comes to my cars, regardlessof the expense. Trump will hopefully slow down the Chinese takeover you guys are seeing over there. 😉 Happy New Year from England sir 👍😎👍
Advance Auto seems to be full of fancy car soap, flashy plastic do Dads, air fresheners, and a whole bunch of cheap ass junk. Behind the counters are high school dropouts who may, or may not speak english.
advance gives you a slight discount for ordering online, but it is only on certain items, and they have all the stuff they have that people might want quickly like a battery or wipers have no discounts at all. recently though they just started nonsense about getting rid of used motor oil they had tanks out on back deck and you just dumped oil now you have to go in and put down your name and address and how much oil you are getting rid of they claimed it was the EPA rules yet down the street the other parts store just take oil no questioned asked
I will make my own parts before spending a dime at these chain stores. Crap overpriced Chineseium parts. Seals that leak..I just use the dealer parts until they are obsolete..then NAPA ..then online😊
Buy 3 power steering pumps to finally get one that works more than week. Ya they warranty it but what about the time and labor to change it myself. Done with Chinese made crap.
Is there such a thing as Jobber price anymore? Anywhere? Oh, I forgot. You need a business. This man from Shed Man has a business of sorts and buys lots of parts. Why couldn't Advance give him "jobber price?" DEI is killing way to may companies.
Yeah I never think it's got to be looked up on the computer anymore you know and what kind of life is actually know nothing can be done without a computer
New cars being all but impossible to work on doesn't help them either.
We all heard the story of starters under the intake, needing to lift the engine to get the alternator out, "lifetime fluids" with no dip stick, batteries built into the rear quarter panel.
For the young guy, simple diy stuff is now dealership work.
Not stocking parts, dont help! But we can order it for you! Can't we all??
Exactly the Reason I look for older cars to get back on the highway, I run a carburetor and distubtor in my 91 2500 4wd!!
advantage of parts store was you could get it when you need it AND some had knowledgable counter people now it is hard to stock even a few things and the help only knows "but the computer says" The parts stores literally offer me nothing anymore. I can find the parts faster and for half (or less)what the parts store offers
Excellent presentation. Thank you. I tried giving my local Advance a chance many times for help and parts. Every single time I left unhappy with the staff and store. There are plenty of good options locally without subjecting myself to Advance so I just drive by them on the way to better options. If even a portion of the other Advance locations are as disappointing as mine, it is no wonder they are failing.
You're not alone! They've been going downhill for years.
The majority of stores they are closing are in California along with a distribution center, which reflects on the state because it's horrible to do business there. With the EV mandate, higher minimum wage, high land cost and the poor quality and difficulty of working on newer cars. Advance is actually walking away from the entire west coast, and i don't blame them. All auto parts chains are going to struggle in the coming years, I've watched it coming on as I've been in automotive for35 years. Starting out as a mechanic but due to health issues went into the parts business for 16 years now selling to garages. We are starting to struggle and so are the garages because the newer cars are junk and too complicated. Be prepared y'all.
The newer cars are designed to fail around 100 k miles. Disposable throw away junk like the made in China shit you buy at wal mart
I ALWAYS give my local mom & pops part store first chance on what I need for a job.
When I was younger I rebuilt a 65 Chevy II. Parts weren’t readily available but my local parts store guy knew enough about vehicles that he could help me with a work around. One item that comes to mind is the radiator. He knew what would fit and it was from a 74 nova with A/C. Now I can’t even buy an oil filter off of the shelf at my local NAPA I have to get an employee to get it from behind the counter. I really get tired of answering questions like “ is my wife’s Honda Accord four wheel drive?”
my one local parts store tried telling me my car had start stop technology and would need a super expensive agm battery at about 250 dollars and oil filter size on computer was completely wrong it gave me filter twice as big as one on my car
Cars with start stop have a dedicated start stop battery as a aux to the main conventional battery. Most parts people don't know what they are talking about..... 😂@@ranger178
I quit shopping with Advance when I saw the D E I poster go up. No need to give money to people who actively discriminate against people just like me. Even wrote corporate.
I have a shop, stopped doing business w/them in fall of '22 after I warned the mngr that I'm not gonna get screamed at in mexican while I'm on hold....this is America. They never changed, I never went back. AMERICA!
Had to stop shopping with them before covid. They hired a spanish female manager who had never worked with auto parts or automotive in general. She was so lost it destroyed the store. They lost every single long term employee (+10 year). It has not recovered
New cars are built so complex the back yard mechanic is discouraged and lost in the computers and electrical dodads. Pre 2000, not too bad to fix.
That's why I love my 1996 Chevy c1500! And it ALWAYS starts!! Over 200k miles... Parts are easy to find... easy to work on... only cost me $800 over ten years ago... I did rebuild the trans. Parts only cost me $300 online.
I stopped shopping there when their windshield washer fluid was more than the locally owned store. They buy it in bulk, so it should be cheaper, but it isn't.
Here in Canada, online prices including Rock Auto has priced the locals way out of the market. Granted, often you need a part fast, and local may have it. We have 2 local auto parts, but honestly the competance level has really gine down. Eaxh of our local stores has maybe 2 competant counter people, the rest know nothing and are not interested in learning. There are employees at one of the stores that have been there 15-20 years amd believe it or not, are not very good and are just stalled out and not improving. I can see our town losing one of the 2 , one has stopped opening Saturday morning and were closed at full week at Christmas. As you mention, the oil situation is ridiculous, not competitive at all. Your thoughts sir, are right on with mine.
I didn't used to worry about shopping around much but when I'm paying $60 + for windsheild wipers and $100 + for a battery at my local Advance it's time to start. I used to enjoy going to the auto parts stores, but not anymore.
Agreed. You can’t afford not to nowadays.
Don't forget $15 per quart of oil...
That's nothing! If a brake light goes out on my '12 town and country it's $500 from Chrysler or $250 from one of these auto parts places like these!
All the prices are about the same with all the different part stores.
100 plus for a battery? you mean 200 plus
The advanced auto near me is closing soon but nows the time to buy. I got a bunch of suspension parts for my truck for really cheap. Dang near 90% off
I remember Advanced Discount Auto when it was just called Discount Auto. To me, nothing much changed when the name changed other than the name. The parts always seemed cheaper there than other places like NAPA, for example. When Autozone and O'Reilly's came along, I started shopping there and found their prices were higher than Advanced but some of their parts seemed to be better quality. At that point is when I pretty much stopped going to Advanced. NAPA was always kinda a last resort. Their prices were always kind of high and their service wasn't the greatest.
our business used to buy mainly from Advanced after they bought out Carquest. the store managers were always trying their best, most of the counter people were really nice and knowledgeable, but corporate idiots that had no clue were put in charge (can anyone say DEI hire?). the store managers had to beg and plead with corporate for things like decent advertising, and enough staff/delivery drivers. your accounts are your bread and butter, but the corporate folks treated us like crap, and the store manager would always have to bend over backwards to get the job done. i hate to see so many folks out of a job, it truly is a shame, as the wrong folks are ending up paying the price for mis-management.
i was a car quest manager. it was a flawed system. Mgr got paid on the profitability of their stores. if your store had a bad month or bad economy (hint), you did bad. I was hired on and my first task was to fire a full timer since my payroll was going to be over. thanks. then, i wasnt allowed to stock item i thought i could sell since i had ties to car clubs. i wasnt allowed to sell too much to one of our customers. dealer bought a pallet of freon, wanted another. corporate said no, but came down on me due to sales. stupid
Having been a driver and seeing this crap 1st hand you are 100% correct.
I have a college degree and worked at Advance when in between jobs and have worked for much larger companies.
You hit the nail on the head. They have some of the most inept middle management I have ever seen at any company. They know nothing about car parts or what shops deal with. The regional managers I've seen get promoted genuinely make me question humanities ability to survive, how these individuals feed themselves boggles my mind. They couldn't comprehend why an auto shop doesn't want to buy painting equipment because they would need to do massive renovations for a clean environment. Honestly if they watched Junkyard digs or Polebarn garage they'd be much better off. I can't say they hire based off of DEI in my area but, I think it's off of numbers only and how the person makes them feel. A complete lack of logic and looking at the bigger picture.
In my region, they opened a bunch of new stores in the last five years. The belt on my OBS F150 had been squealing a bit so I thought I should grab one next time I pass the new AAP in town. It was over $40. Nah, the old one can keep squealing.
Paid half for a Gates belt next time I needed to make an online order for something else. Pro tip: maintain a list of future needs and nice to haves. Next time you need something now from Rock Auto, add that item to your cart then see which of the items on your list have the truck icon so you can combine shipping. Combine that with the 5% discount they sometimes have and it adds up. Also, RA is great for using up gift credit/debit cards with its multiple payment sources ability.
You hit the nail on the head about Advanced. What annoyed me the most is their online site. I needed some bulk 5/16" fuel hose to fix my wood chipper. Their online site always wants you to enter a vehicle. Generic parts are not tied to a specific vehicle. Wiper blade prices are obscene and for some reason, no one carries blade refills anymore, so you have to buy the entire blade. NFW am I going to pay $20 per blade which will only last, if I'm lucky, for a winter season.
Like most of the parts stores you go in and they will say no we dont have that part but we can order it for you i went in to one and ask for a digital timing light and the guy behind the counter asked me what year is that
I used to enjoy going to parts stores because the folks there were very knowledgeable and provided a lot of advice. Today the stores are full of high-school graduates and unable to answer questions. So now I use UA-cam and order online.
My local CarQuest had their franchised pulled... pissed me off!!
@@ArrowheadGarage I’ve been buying from them since they were Western Auto. Hate to see them go.
I hope you enjoy your coffee. I enjoyed your rant!
Thanks, I do!
It's true! Our phones listen and respond in ads on social media or whatever. I've been talking to someone on the phone, mentioned, i hadn't seen a certian store in years... after that, i got adds! Scary.
@@kathyvettraino2267 happens to me all the time with my phone in my pocket!
Ñot even in my pocket in the van 15 feet away talking to friend about his truck
I was a parts man for 17 years, Parts City Autoparts, we had a catalog rack, we didn’t ask what size motor for wiper blades. A good parts man/woman always has a pen and knows what a felpro VS12869 is, (SBC valve cover gaskets) or a KS2600 ! There aren't any good jobber, locally owned parts stores anymore, stores like Advance Auto parts hire people with no automotive knowledge, at all.
Advance Auto charges like a 50% premium on consumables like oil, coolant, ATF, brake fluid, light bulbs, and filters compared to Walmart. They charge a large premium on more specialized parts compared to Rock Auto, but I guess you could at least argue that you are paying for the privilege of picking it up either same day or within a day or two. I still find myself going there when I'm in a pinch and would be sad if my local one closed.
rock auto ships super fast, if you order something 12pm it ships the same day and they use FedEx which is like 1 day shipping 2 days max
You used to buy exhaust pipes and what happened to a case of oil 24 quarts
Here in Tampa, nobody speaks English in the stores I refuse to go there
Went to a local Advance that’s closing. The line. Only two allowed into the store at a time as two exit. Maybe 10 people shopping total inside. The comments alone of those in line. 😂. Standard shelf prices are so high makes autozone look like a bargain. 50% off barely got prices even with autozone or O Reilly. $47 for a five quart jug of Mobil 1. Walmart is $26 daily. Etc. Prices are crazy. $200 for a DieHard. Went in with part numbers and got many behind the counter parts they had in stock. 80-90% off. Made it easy on the counter person.
You are an insightful, very fair, and reasonable man. Your "rants" are always based in understanding and consideration of the overall situation. I really like your style.
Thank you so much!
@@carlweitzel1753 I appreciate your response I sometimes don't get a very welcome response from some people they just understand or even care they just have to respond to me
@@martybritton267 I appreciate your comments. And l thank you. Keep watching!
im the same way, buying parts dont require personal information such as a phone number. i run the old dodges myself. glad i subscribed. thanks!
@@JohnLazar-s3u Thanks for subscribing and commenting! Mopar!
Your right & I agree on nearly everything you talked about why they are failing. Remember the days of walking into the Auto Parts Store on a weekend & there were 8-10 guys in there getting parts to fix their car. Now you go into a parts store & it's you & 3 teenagers behind the counter that'll ask if my 2006 Buick is a diesel or if my Monte Carlo is a 2 door or a 4 door. The things I think you know & didn't mention are a couple of things. #1 is that cars just don't break that much any more & there is a lot less to go wrong & fix than there use to be in the 80's & 90's. #2 is these young people aren't like you & me when we were younger. Most of them don't have a clue how to change a tire or air filter. Forget about them even trying to fix their own car & needing a parts store. I'm an Auto Zone guy & their rewards program is simple & good. You spend over $20 & you get a point. You get 5 points & get a $20 credit. The trick is that on one visit you can buy 3 different items that are $20 or more in 3 separate purchases in the same visit & get 3 points in one day. It's a little bit of a game but I get several $20 credits a year there. When are generation is gone in 25 years people will hardly even remember auto parts stores. "On Line" has even hurt good ole fashion swap meets.
To me the rewards programs are all the same. They overcharge for stuff then give a little back to keep you “loyal “ and make you feel like you’re getting a deal. When in reality you’re just getting your own money back.
For the most part the people I deal with at the local parts stores are pretty knowledgeable and helpful. Not all of them but the majority.
Great video brotha but I just want to share part of the reason the pricing is higher at a corporate auto parts store than online that most don't realize. I work at a O'Reilly store here in California the company has come up with pricing that will cover a bunch of different aspects. So as a example a part that costs $25 for them they add $15 towards salaries and overhead like rent costs and utilities then add $25 of profit and then on top of that they factor in another $25 for all of the products that get stolen from shoplifting and that's really the big one so the company doesn't have any losses and can stay in business unfortunately especially in a state like CA where shoplifting is not even punished it ends up costing the consumers more money. Online stores don't have any of that to deal with and Walmart is so large that they can push their vendors around cause it would hurt the vendors more if they don't meet Walmarts price and they get dropped by them it becomes a thing of they move so much product that even if they make very little profit they sell a ton of it and doesn't hurt them.
@wsttxC10_454 nobody wants to pay for the knowledge anymore. I challenge those with any type of automotive knowledge to apply at these automotive stores. Don't hurry. I'll wait.
Danny still works at a small local independently owned auto parts store in Melvindale. They dont get much business at all. They will probably close soon. Danny is the only employee!
You can get the wipers at 1/4 the cost online i have 5 cars change my oil and wipers once a year its always a rockauto order for parts and walmart oil
A friend of mine use to be a midwest district manager for Advanced. He said Advances long term goal was to close all retail stores and go online only. Maybe that's what's happening ?
This is a great video on this subject,,, lot has changed in the past 20 years,,,
Also they font carry the good stuff in stock ex. Denso starters and alternators made in usa usually they double the price of rockauto and still takes 2-3 days to get
I stopped going to advanced when I bought a fuel pump that cost me $500 and I had to drop my fuel tank to put it in 3 days. After I put it in it stopped working so I exchanged it for another. That one lasted about 2 weeks before it went out and they would not give me my money back because I did not want another crappy fuel pump that I was going to have to drop my fuel tank to put in so I ate the $500 and went to Napa paid $700 for my fuel pump. Put it in and never had another problem
I work at a self service wrecking yard and our business is a boomin'.
I bought a battery not long ago and he said he will install that for you for free. I said okay sounds good. The guy who tried to put it in, didn't even know what he was doing. After about five minutes of him struggling, I said, just let me do it. it was on in a couple of minutes. I knew I was screwed when I saw him using vice grips lol
I stopped in one a week back for rattle can paint and it was $3 more than autozone.
There ya go.
Maybe if the were competitive with pricing across the board.
autozone is the same thing very overpriced
I'd join the Shed Man Loyalty Rewards Program. Free hat, limit 1
You nailed it with the prices ! I can buy the same parts they sell on line for 1/2 the price & that includes shipping ! If they don't start dropping prices they will be gone , just like Trac Auto !
They're failing b/c I can get everything I need from Walmart and RockAuto for a lot less.
Because they lie to you on warranty, tell you you have life time warranty and in a they take you out of there computer so your Life time warranty will be gone,me and a manager got into a argument about it and he confess on them taking you off the computer
One thing that I think needs to be clarified is that advance carries Diehard batteries in name only. They are the same Johnson controls reman crap they always sold, not what sears use to sell. I worked for advance when the change over happened, and I was the poor s.o.b. in the back, pulling off the carquest (at the time) labels and sticking on the diehard labels.
@@gabewarner7885 You sir are absolutely correct! That’s not the only thing they did that with either!
It used to be the people at parts stores were knowledgeable and could find you something that would work, such as a carb I needed but didn't have that was rebuild and return only. Now my closest Advance hires anyone that can breathe and can't find what you need, such as a taillight socket. I found it on their website but the guy at the store said they didnt carry one for the car i needed. I just told him to go get this part number, which he did, and it was the exact part I needed.
@@shawncarnahan2486 Same thing happened to me many times.
Last year Auto Zone built a store just a quarter mile from the Advance Auto store.
Lotta truth there, 1 lugnut about 5 bucks at advanced, whole set internet, about 30
Every thing for my vehicle has tripled since coved napa was asking $134 for a tie rod got a moog brand for $28 on line the napa one wasn't moog ether
Napa is probably the best parts store . I live in a small town with Advanced, O’Reilly, and Auto Zone. No thanks I’d rather drive 30 miles to Napa .
It’s not any cheaper, but the customer service is more like what it used to be 25 years ago.
The poor employees and management not to forget dei. Their prices in the last 2 or 3 years has gone out of sight. We went to Pennsylvania the last 2 weeks advance is closing along with a dozen more in pa
We have too many Auto parts.. in our town.. I never liked advance Auto.. give them try a couple times but all the other parts stores are much better
Also, I think too often on later model stuff the cost of inventorying it is ridiculously high so they only have few in their warehouse to reduce operating capital. Advance , Auto Zone and O'Rielly are all competing for the same customer and the market is really shrinking . Advance and Car Quest are the same company BTW. Rock Auto is cleaning their clock with great prices and reasonably prompt delivery.
Trivia for you just in case you may not remember it Auto Zone was originally called Auto Shack and was housed in the same building with Super D Drugs, I bought my very first starter there for 19.95 with core return .
Thank you for doing this and saying things that need to be said, companies need to start listening to the people who buy their stuff .
@@arlynking1300 They were Western Auto to begin with. I’ve been a customer since then!
One year they take you out of computer on life Time warranty thats what they do , what a scam
Had 2 dorman shifter cables fail, I wanted a ATP cable, napa quit selling ATP hard parts..went to Advanced and they ordered the cable (5 days) it was the right one fit well-
Advanced and napa deliver when they say they will, delivery is just a threat from Autozone...hafta remind and babysit orders..i am a commercial farm mechanic with 26 trucks to deal with, oh autozone is all about the spanish thing i noticed also...
I have said that same thing about food and gasoline for years.
They have NOOOOOO...inventory. EVERYTHING...HAS TO BE ORDERED..NOTHING ON THEIR SHELVES.
They never had the parts I needed RIGHT now.
As a shop owner with customers who need their vehicles asap, that doesn't work.
Not to mention the prices were out of hand.
O'Riley hands down, Napa is second.
It's because they are not advanced but just remedial
I get 99% of my parts from either Rock auto or Amazon these days. 20 years ago I went to the local parts store. Get my oil from Walmart exclusively, get my filters from rock auto by the dozen
Bottom line they are too expensive. It’s cheaper to buy parts elsewhere. Even the replacement bulbs are three times higher than elsewhere. Motor oil is too high.
Loyalty rewards programs merely makes it easier to catalog everyone's purchases.
Everyone is on a government watch list.
Words of Wisdom for an Old Man !
O yeah don't forget they only have one good person that knows what they are doing and the line is out the to get that person.
They treat their customers like crap! Over charging for parts. second their parts guys don't know their arse from a hole in the ground! They took over the Car quest I dealt with for decades, first thing they canceled all customer accounts, second they got rid of all the real parts counter guys that had years of experience, then hired certified idiots! No real inventory, they have to special order every thing. 3 day wait, heck I can order from Amazon and get it next day. They earned the hate.
You nailed it!
Parts stores have to balance the lost profit from garages and fleets with the added profit of the walk in customers.wal mart doesnt discount extra to anyone...so their profit is fixed.
One corner we have O'Reillys and autozone, across the street on other corner, advanced auto.
Back in the car quest days, they had decent prices and good quality parts. Now with advance, one gets junk Dorman garbage.
Just about every Dorman part I've used, quits a year or 2 later. Those parts are almost as bad as walker exhaust systems.
All the auto part stores are about the same price on everything.
Always have been high way robbery.
I don't understand how buying the parts on the Advance website is a lot cheaper than buying it in store. I always buy online and then drive down and pick it up. The manager can't explain it to me.
They probably just want you to come in the store and get that “impulse” purchase.
They don’t pay their employees enough to live on so they don’t attract or retain people that are knowledgeable about cars. You get what you pay for.
The local managers do the best they can to treat employees right. On the corporate level management couldn’t care less. Still, they have great employees, they just don’t hang around long.
Mr Shed, I'm a similar age to you (this year's the big one 😢) and I see the poor quality of cheapo parts. I'm new to American cars, bought my Scamp In 2022, and the availability of stuff is pretty impressive. Places like Rock Auto sell the same parts in various price ranges, I'm not used to that with British cars - we have to source new old stock parts because it's not cost-effective to remake it in China. Cheap parts are too readily available on line, as are cheap clothing shops - you can buy a pair of Jean's in England for £8, or Levi's and Wranglers will be 60 to 100 quid. Nobody will buy the quality when the other option in ten times cheaper but may only last a year. I buy the closest to original parts when it comes to my cars, regardlessof the expense. Trump will hopefully slow down the Chinese takeover you guys are seeing over there. 😉
Happy New Year from England sir 👍😎👍
Advance Auto seems to be full of fancy car soap, flashy plastic do Dads, air fresheners, and a whole bunch of cheap ass junk. Behind the counters are high school dropouts who may, or may not speak english.
You can get the same part on line for half the price have to wait a few days so be it
advance gives you a slight discount for ordering online, but it is only on certain items, and they have all the stuff they have that people might want quickly like a battery or wipers have no discounts at all.
recently though they just started nonsense about getting rid of used motor oil they had tanks out on back deck and you just dumped oil now you have to go in and put down your name and address and how much oil you are getting rid of they claimed it was the EPA rules yet down the street the other parts store just take oil no questioned asked
My Chevy burns enough oil i don't change it anymore. I just keep adding oil and change the oil filter occasionally. 🤷🏼♂️
@@lonebikeroftheapocalypse9527 Been there done that on many!
Advance Auto always got to order most everything you go there to get never in stock.
Wonder what the percentage of the general public that works on their cars.
Bc i can buy the part for 75% less on Ebay or Amazon
Their prices are 35-40% more than rockauto
@@bigbob7936 In some cases even more
I stopped going there almost 20 years ago they DON'T honor thier warranty EVER always an excuse
People are too poor we're more concerned about eating then fixing our old trucks and cars
Their prices are about the same as NAPA. I've had better luck with NAPA parts.
You order the part online walk in pickup part it way cheaper than just asking for part at the counter that stupid
Statlers brothers reference 👍🏻
@@buckster2575 Don’t tell me I’ve nothing to do!
Tje stores closing are poor performing stores... CarQuest store close to another Advanced Auto store.
* FYI... Advanced Auto owns Rock Auto! 🤔
I will make my own parts before spending a dime at these chain stores. Crap overpriced Chineseium parts. Seals that leak..I just use the dealer parts until they are obsolete..then NAPA ..then online😊
Drinking coffee smoking cigarettes Living the dream 😊
Buy 3 power steering pumps to finally get one that works more than week.
Ya they warranty it but what about the time and labor to change it myself.
Done with Chinese made crap.
I stop going to any they carry 0 parts for my vehicle lol so I order mine now
I’m glad they are going out. They screwed me on 300 ford motor. Good riddance you evil crooks!!!!!
Is there such a thing as Jobber price anymore? Anywhere? Oh, I forgot. You need a business. This man from Shed Man has a business of sorts and buys lots of parts. Why couldn't Advance give him "jobber price?" DEI is killing way to may companies.
@@RBTrujillo1 They actually offered me a commercial account but I turned it down. That’s on me. My own stupidity.
They have batteries under 200.i need to finish the video
@@buckster2575 not much under!
@@shedman7323 I got one for one forty.i guess not bad.
Just say bye and good luck.
Advance auto parts I TRYED TO USE REWARDS FROM ADVANCE THAT'S BULLSHIT!
Yeah I never think it's got to be looked up on the computer anymore you know and what kind of life is actually know nothing can be done without a computer
CORPORATION GREED................................!!!
NAPA man myself 😇
Don't tell me
I've nothing to do.
@@mostlymoparih5682 You can always find me here
I’m having quite a time.
Yep DEI.