AutoZone Reports Fourth Quarter Results

[Joe Marconi]

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[Gonzo]

Still ... it doesn't mean I'm going to be buying parts from them. Profit or no profit,AutoZone parts have never been a product that I could endorse or bolt on a car.

 

Price still matters to the average consumer. I think they should relabel some of these parts as "get-ya-by" parts or "get-ya-to-buy" parts. Cause it seems price is still the preferred option on how to shop for car parts.

[Joe Marconi]

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[xrac]

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[Gonzo]

Gonzo, this has been my objection to this form of marketing for years. AutoZone features the "Price", not the "Product". It's the Wall Mart strategy- advertising low price to the masses. Bring them in and sell them something. But, where is the Value????

 

What we do is different, we don't sell price, we sell value. And there is a difference. AutoZone, Advance and other discounters need to realize what we are all about. We have spent too many years not charging what we need to. And to try to compete with parts that the public perceives as the same, based only on price, will only damage the repair and service industry more.

It takes more than quality parts to keep customers in the shop. It also takes quality workmanship as well. These cheap parts suppliers just confuse the average consumer into thinking that the parts shouldn't cost so much. Then add the idea that a lot of these components can be changed with just a few hours (or minutes) of labor time. The thing they both don't take into consideration (cheap parts suppliers and consumers) that it might take longer to locate the fault than actually making the repair.

 

This is where our expertise is at its highest value.

 

When you have a cheap part, cheap repair shop, cheap customer all wrapped into one job there is going to be a problem. A BIG PROBLEM.

 

Which.... always ends up with the consumer making the assumption that "all" mechanics are bad, and that the cheap part got the job done even though they might have to change the same part over and over again... because by now... they've figured out the symptom they are having relates back to the same defective part. BUT, they hardly ever make the connection that it's the part that is the major let down.

 

It would be an awesome deal if a lot of the "good" shops got together and made a TV commercial stating what a good shop with quality parts can do, and informed the public the major differences in using a reputable shop and not just taking the word of some goof ball behind the counter at Auto Zone with a two-bit code reader.

[Joe Marconi]

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