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Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:39 am

I just saw that the Pep Boys parts stores in my area are only Tire Shops now and no inventory of parts. When did this happen?
So much for the warranty on an alternator!

Sun Dec 19, 2021 4:47 am

Elimination of the company’s retail parts operations is part of the company’s strategy to expand the service side as today’s cars, including electric vehicles, become too complex for owners to repair on their own, Pep Boys spokeswoman Arianna Sherlock said.

“It’s really a business model shift, especially nationally,” Sherlock said. “The opportunity is so great in automotive service. We’re seeing a huge shift in demand for ‘do it for me’ service versus ‘do it yourself.’ ”

Customers, she said, are intimidated by the complexity of modern vehicles and the millions of lines of computer code that make them work.

Most owners don’t even want to change their own oil anymore, she said.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 6:00 am

Tough business prop

Pros: Installed franchises and locations in known locations

Cons: trying to compete with a vast installed base of dealers, independents, franchise shops ( MIDAS, Mavis, Goodyear, Firestone… )

I’ll bet it’s a bunch of financial wankers who thought this up

Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:35 am

After the changeover, I did get Pep Boys to replace a part under lifetime warranty. I didn't buy too much stuff there as wasn't that close, but do have lifetime Super Beetle steering damper and lifetime Mazda truck fan clutch through them.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:40 am

Abscate wrote: Tough business prop

Pros: Installed franchises and locations in known locations

Cons: trying to compete with a vast installed base of dealers, independents, franchise shops ( MIDAS, Mavis, Goodyear, Firestone… )

I’ll bet it’s a bunch of financial wankers who thought this up

I am betting you are correct.

The vast majority of people I have met that are swearing that modern vehicles of any type or brand.....are far too complex to work on.....are not people who know ANYTHING about cars.
They are MOSTLY the same people who cannot, will not or have no interest .....in working on a car.....and instantly justify that doing so is a stupid investment and that their time is too valuable.

In reality a lot of but not all modern cars have become mechanically less complex for the main systems.
..... engines, transmissions, suspensions....for most of what needs working on because they last so long between wear cycles. The electrical and electronics systems.....few if any people need to deal with code unless major components need to be changed and reprogrammed.....and if the car is at that advanced of an age or miles....for example .....the DIY people can get the VAG diagnostic software for free and the reader and pigtail for less than the cost of a dealer visit......and still no one needs to know anything about coding.

The vast majority of people.....in my opinion.....who cant be bothered with doing even their own fluid and filter changes.....simply either have newer cars.....let the dealer do it under warranty......or if they have bought it used (or highly used)....dont bother with maintenance anyway. They drive it till it breaks.....unless they live in a tight emissions state.

Personally......I dont find Pep Boys that much of a parts chain loss. Their parts have been no better over the past decade....and sometimes worse.....than any other chain.

I have only been to Pep Boys for service once. In 2008 when I lived in DC in an apartment, with no place to work on my 2006 Jetta and snow on the ground.....I took my car in for a simple oil change. I had to buy my own oil and bring it in (no 0W-40 of any decent brand in stock).....and the mechanic could not figure out the oil drain valve cap on the filter housing and was about to break the housing and I had to do it for him.

Yeah.....I think you are right. I can almost hear the bean counters and executives at Pep Boys sitting around the conference room saying to each other and reinforcing their own opinions to each other......"yeah.....its not like any normal people actually work on cars....right? ....right?.....am I right?"
Ray

Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:49 am

True story I’ll keep it short. About 15 years ago Manny,Moe and Jack printed up a bunch of calendars here and the coupons somehow missed the proof readers because they were selling mobil1 for less than regular oil price. I got cases for cheap. They were fully aware but allowed me to use the coupons. I never bought any hard parts there.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:54 am

Many Pep Boys outlets are now subleasing the parts business to Advance Auto Parts.

https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/11094-ad...california

I used to get wiper blades, oil and other fluids, some paint products, but not mainline parts, so I won't miss it much. We have O'Reilly's and AutoZone nearby, so it won't be missed too much.

And I agree, the car DIY market is disappearing and isn't coming back.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:04 pm

KTPhil wrote: Many Pep Boys outlets are now subleasing the parts business to Advance Auto Parts.

https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/11094-ad...california

I used to get wiper blades, oil and other fluids, some paint products, but not mainline parts, so I won't miss it much. We have O'Reilly's and AutoZone nearby, so it won't be missed too much.

And I agree, the car DIY market is disappearing and isn't coming back.

Sounds like our local PB. Tire and service center open, store closed. I'll wait to see what happens...

Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:01 pm

Pep Boys has been shutting down or selling off their retail stores across the US since early 2020. The nearest local retail store closed up around Sept/Oct last year, only the service and tire department remains.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 2:02 pm

Just one less joint selling lifetime warranty parts that you will spend the rest of your life changing.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 2:09 pm

the retail storefront business model is outdated. i dont want to pay extra for a storefront with a cashier. i can order anything they can order.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 2:13 pm

I remember years back when their motto was "Everything but gas". That was never true.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 2:50 pm

Jimone wrote: the retail storefront business model is outdated. i dont want to pay extra for a storefront with a cashier. i can order anything they can order.
If a store has something in stock that I need and has a real person I can talk to face to face if there's an issue, I'll gladly pay a little extra for the convenience. There's nothing more irritating in my opinion than ordering a part, waiting for it to show up and find out it's wrong/defective/poor qualtiy/etc, then have to deal with somebody on the other end of a phone or email to try to fix the problem. At least if the parts are all the same poor quality, I can see this in person at a store and avoid buying the crap in the first place.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:19 pm

Jimone wrote: the retail storefront business model is outdated. i dont want to pay extra for a storefront with a cashier. i can order anything they can order.

Yes wouldn’t it be a shitty thing to have a store that caters to your needs within 20 miles of your house ?

www.Bughaus.com

He does a lot of mail order shipping all over the world. A throwback mom and pop shop. I like and support that. 😀. I like being able to drive over and see this guy face to face. You can have it both ways. Be civic minded, support local businesses.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 4:58 pm

Jimone wrote: the retail storefront business model is outdated. i dont want to pay extra for a storefront with a cashier. i can order anything they can order.

If there was ever a millennial way of looking at things, this is it.

Don't get me wrong, I've ordered tons of parts online and still do, but I still want the option (and convenience) of having the part I need NOW so I can drive my car TODAY, even if it's more expensive or a crappy part that is only intended to get me by temporarily, or (as already mentioned) a real person at a counter that I can get an exchange or refund from immediately.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 6:32 pm

Online retail comprises 13% of sales per Census Bureau.

Sun Dec 19, 2021 6:51 pm

guess you guys really love your pep boys. i dont see the appeal but its important to have hobbies!

Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:54 pm

raygreenwood wrote: Abscate wrote: Tough business prop

Pros: Installed franchises and locations in known locations

Cons: trying to compete with a vast installed base of dealers, independents, franchise shops ( MIDAS, Mavis, Goodyear, Firestone… )

I’ll bet it’s a bunch of financial wankers who thought this up

I am betting you are correct.

The vast majority of people I have met that are swearing that modern vehicles of any type or brand.....are far too complex to work on.....are not people who know ANYTHING about cars.
They are MOSTLY the same people who cannot, will not or have no interest .....in working on a car.....and instantly justify that doing so is a stupid investment and that their time is too valuable.

In reality a lot of but not all modern cars have become mechanically less complex for the main systems.
..... engines, transmissions, suspensions....for most of what needs working on because they last so long between wear cycles. The electrical and electronics systems.....few if any people need to deal with code unless major components need to be changed and reprogrammed.....and if the car is at that advanced of an age or miles....for example .....the DIY people can get the VAG diagnostic software for free and the reader and pigtail for less than the cost of a dealer visit......and still no one needs to know anything about coding.

The vast majority of people.....in my opinion.....who cant be bothered with doing even their own fluid and filter changes.....simply either have newer cars.....let the dealer do it under warranty......or if they have bought it used (or highly used)....dont bother with maintenance anyway. They drive it till it breaks.....unless they live in a tight emissions state.

Personally......I dont find Pep Boys that much of a parts chain loss. Their parts have been no better over the past decade....and sometimes worse.....than any other chain.

I have only been to Pep Boys for service once. In 2008 when I lived in DC in an apartment, with no place to work on my 2006 Jetta and snow on the ground.....I took my car in for a simple oil change. I had to buy my own oil and bring it in (no 0W-40 of any decent brand in stock).....and the mechanic could not figure out the oil drain valve cap on the filter housing and was about to break the housing and I had to do it for him.

Yeah.....I think you are right. I can almost hear the bean counters and executives at Pep Boys sitting around the conference room saying to each other and reinforcing their own opinions to each other......"yeah.....its not like any normal people actually work on cars....right? ....right?.....am I right?"
Ray

This is EXACTLY why BAT survives and not just survives, prospers. Idiots will pay more to own a shiny thing from the past. Doesnt matter that they pay TWICE as much and dont even begin to comprehend it, they just want the thing that shines the most in any catagory.

Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:01 am

wheel607 wrote: Idiots will pay more to own a shiny thing from the past.

have you seen the shiny shit from today idiots buy? imho they are more dangerous than the cars of yesterday, so much so these new overpriced piles of shit by and large come standard with ADAS systems to help protect the idiot driving it, and the people around said idiot

no knobs, buttons or switches....swipe here, enter menu, swipe again, and again, oh one more time...almost there. finally, i can turn the defrost on....

it's annoying as hell with the glare on your touchscreen to try and turn the radio down, lower the blower fan speed etc on some of this garbage. it would be funny if it wasn't sad....

driving the shit of today is almost like the airplanes of yesterday when you needed a flight engineer to do basic functions.

Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:55 am

Working on today"s cars is really tough! How will I ever figure out which sensor went bad now? Is my air freshener still good? Is there a sensor for wiper blades?