Retail Watchers

https://www.registerguard.com/story/new ... 131741007/

This chain has operated for 75 years, and at one point had some locations in the Portland area. It is becoming hard to compete against the chain stores not to mention online retailers.

The traditional auto parts store has been pushed out by AutoZone, O'Reilly and Advance Auto. The three have larger buying power, attract the big names (Die Hard was a coup for Advance) and can drive prices down. The independent auto retailer then became no longer able to keep stock or experienced employees on hand as experts to handle the business. Add that to all three being on the corner opposite Walgreens, and it was a lethal combination.

The only Knecht's I ever went to was the one in Coos Bay, and it reminded me of another smaller chain we had in Reno / Sparks called "Allied Auto Parts." They did have the odd thing I was looking for, however, the store was pretty much stuck in the 60's. The building was bulldozed a couple of years ago so First Interstate could stick a new branch on the site.

I wonder who supplied Knecht's.

It seems like the best way for some independents to continue is to go under Napa or Car Quest. But there are also a number of corporate operated Napa units now.

wnetmacman wrote: ↑April 21st, 2023, 6:12 am The traditional auto parts store has been pushed out by AutoZone, O'Reilly and Advance Auto. The three have larger buying power, attract the big names (Die Hard was a coup for Advance) and can drive prices down. The independent auto retailer then became no longer able to keep stock or experienced employees on hand as experts to handle the business. Add that to all three being on the corner opposite Walgreens, and it was a lethal combination.

I will say that prices haven't gone down at O'Reilly as they have acquired Schuck's and other chains. They brag about their "Low price guarantee" but often have the highest shelf prices around, in many cases more than regional chains.

Super S wrote: ↑May 3rd, 2023, 10:49 pm

wnetmacman wrote: ↑April 21st, 2023, 6:12 am The traditional auto parts store has been pushed out by AutoZone, O'Reilly and Advance Auto. The three have larger buying power, attract the big names (Die Hard was a coup for Advance) and can drive prices down. The independent auto retailer then became no longer able to keep stock or experienced employees on hand as experts to handle the business. Add that to all three being on the corner opposite Walgreens, and it was a lethal combination.

I will say that prices haven't gone down at O'Reilly as they have acquired Schuck's and other chains. They brag about their "Low price guarantee" but often have the highest shelf prices around, in many cases more than regional chains.

Reminds me of Home Depot and Lowe's.
Or Office Depot/Staples/Office Max.

They all had "low prices" until they put the competitors out of business.

After the competitors were gone, that was the end of that.

storewanderer wrote: ↑April 22nd, 2023, 2:30 pm I wonder who supplied Knecht's.

It seems like the best way for some independents to continue is to go under Napa or Car Quest. But there are also a number of corporate operated Napa units now.

Basically the Orielly/Auto Zones are places to buy air fresheners and cleaning supplies. For serious auto parts you go to NAPA or online (Rock Auto, etc)

jamcool wrote: ↑May 4th, 2023, 1:13 pm

storewanderer wrote: ↑April 22nd, 2023, 2:30 pm I wonder who supplied Knecht's.

It seems like the best way for some independents to continue is to go under Napa or Car Quest. But there are also a number of corporate operated Napa units now.

Basically the Orielly/Auto Zones are places to buy air fresheners and cleaning supplies. For serious auto parts you go to NAPA or online (Rock Auto, etc)

No; AutoZone and O'Reilly have almost everything that Napa did. The trick is finding a Napa; most of them specialize in something like Truck Parts now.

wnetmacman wrote: ↑May 4th, 2023, 8:49 pm

jamcool wrote: ↑May 4th, 2023, 1:13 pm

storewanderer wrote: ↑April 22nd, 2023, 2:30 pm I wonder who supplied Knecht's.

It seems like the best way for some independents to continue is to go under Napa or Car Quest. But there are also a number of corporate operated Napa units now.

Basically the Orielly/Auto Zones are places to buy air fresheners and cleaning supplies. For serious auto parts you go to NAPA or online (Rock Auto, etc)

No; AutoZone and O'Reilly have almost everything that Napa did. The trick is finding a Napa; most of them specialize in something like Truck Parts now.

It's not hard to find a NAPA store. They are actually present in many small towns that the chains avoid. There is some inconsistency to NAPA though, as stores have different operators. Some NAPA stores are built as such from the ground up, while others are in older buildings and do not have a consistent layout. They also sometimes tailor the stores to local needs....some in rural areas will have more inventory gears toward farmers such as tractor parts, while some in other areas cater more to the trucking industry, and some near coastal areas or lakes will have more marine parts. NAPA is usually on the higher end as far as pricing goes, but I have found variances on this depending on who owns the stores, and some are a lot more competitive.

I do, however, believe that the chain stores do not always have the best quality when it comes to hard parts, and their "lifetime warranty" is often a one-time warranty. I shop by manufacturer, and often find some OE suppliers such as Denso, Bosch, ACDelco, and Motorcraft, are often available in the aftermarket from the regional and independent stores, for close to the same price for better quality.

The thing that bugs me though is seeing auto parts stores as a whole relaxing their requirements and sometimes hiring people with virtually zero automotive experience. I am seeing this with both chains and independents.

I’m guessing Knecht’s may have been supplied by Auto Plus, owned by Carl Icahn. That chain is now bankrupt, which may explain why Pep Boys also pulled out of auto supply, since they were under the same corporate umbrella.