Auto parts store

[buick7332]

The good old fashioned auto parts store in my home town was finally sold to a chain called parts plus. The first thing they did was replace the 2 counter guy's that worked there for decades with minimum wage employees. Around the corner of this 1 square mile borough they are building an auto zone right next door to advance auto parts. It's tough to swallow, these chain stores are killing the mom & pops to extinction. I sure am going to miss the service I got there all these years. Meanwhile, these good guys are out of a job. If you have one of these stores in your town support them before they are gone

 

[ck80]

Wonder if it's the same company? Somewhere I used to live there was a parts plus... it was a family owned store. For them it was kind of a branding thing sort of how some gas stations are independent owned/operated but signage is for a multinational corporation that doesn't actually own the station.

Could be the old owners sold to a new owner who partnered with parts plus? Might be someone else pulling the staffing changes.

 

[ssn696]

Radio Shack is gone too. Fewer and fewer people know how to fix anything anymore. It’s really a badge of honor to keep an pre-OBD1 car self-propelled.

 

[303'505rollin]

These 2 ladies owned the car quest but had a great selection of paint and body tools but have since closed and most chain stores dont carry those great but hard to find items on the whim when you just happen to run out or miss placed or a hey I was looking for one of those

 

[airboatgreg]

I dealt with several Mom and Pop stores over the years i had my shops. The people behind the counter actually knew stuff. I hate the big chain stores and am fortunate in my area that we have a choice

 

[Doug Chahoy]

In the large suburb of Pgh where I live theres only 1 independent parts store left. On the main streets there are 2 Advance stores within 2 miles with an Auto Zone in between. Oriellys opened they’re first store here about 4 years. And they’re second one a warehouse store, construction was halted for who knows why, about 3 years ago. Atleast the give McDonalds employees an alternative job LOL. I remember around the early 70s we had a chain of parts stores called Beacon Autoparts, they were great. Other than having what you needed in stock. They had car people working the counter. And a fully stocked auto body section. Progress isn’t always good for everybody. Being over run with generic parts stores that seldom have what you need in stock. And counter people that only know what they’re computer monitor shows.

 

[pagrunt]

In the large suburb of Pgh where I live theres only 1 independent parts store left. On the main streets there are 2 Advance stores within 2 miles with an Auto Zone in between. Oriellys opened they’re first store here about 4 years. And they’re second one a warehouse store, construction was halted for who knows why, about 3 years ago. Atleast the give McDonalds employees an alternative job LOL. I remember around the early 70s we had a chain of parts stores called Beacon Autoparts, they were great. Other than having what you needed in stock. They had car people working the counter. And a fully stocked auto body section. Progress isn’t always good for everybody. Being over run with generic parts stores that seldom have what you need in stock. And counter people that only know what they’re computer monitor shows.

Don't forget Whitlock (Strauss) when they were around. The North Hills store guys knew cars. Then Trak took them over, fired everyone, replaced them with "bodies" & went belly up. I was one of the lucky ones to get fired.

 

[Ribbedroof]

You guys forget, we're the minority in these times.

How many other businesses survive servicing 40 year old goods? Seen a TV repair shop lately? Video rental store? Times change, the majority of people want the "newest" anything, whether it's worth a damn or not. See Iphone 13, pickups that are really just cars with a miniature bed, etc

 

[Burd]

We have one store left with the same, I go there.

 

[ssn696]

VIP Auto Parts. First question was not “year, make and model?” It was, “what are you trying to do?” I probably dropped $1500 in that chain, turning a $200 junkyard-ready C20 into a cross-country car hauler, and drove it 10 more years. Money well spent.