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Not looking good at the local Pep Boys Store

Don Frelier

Don Frelier

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I stopped by yesterday to get a few common maintenance type things.
The shelves were half empty.
The checkout cashiers area was empty the cashier was doing double duty as a parts guy at a table.
Prices for oil and coolant sure seemed high to me.
When I asked for 5/8" heater hose I was directed to a self serve hose cabinet.
No heater hose there.
This store used to be halfway decent not the best but OK.
They used to stock some hot rod high zinc oil on the shelf which is handy and a few performance type parts as well.
Any guesses how long the doors will be open?
 
Don Frelier said:
I stopped by yesterday to get a few common maintenance type things.
The shelves were half empty.
The checkout cashiers area was empty the cashier was doing double duty as a parts guy at a table.
Prices for oil and coolant sure seemed high to me.
When I asked for 5/8" heater hose I was directed to a self serve hose cabinet.
No heater hose there.
This store used to be halfway decent not the best but OK.
They used to stock some hot rod high zinc oil on the shelf which is handy and a few performance type parts as well.
Any guesses how long the doors will be open?
Click to expand...
Not long by what you've described.
 
Every business has "Help Wanted" signs out, with no applicants.

One of my co-workers was whining that the fast food joints that used to be open 24/7 aren't anymore, he can't get his taco fix at 3am, and he ******* about the service he gets. Oh, and he is a Lefty. I just shook my head, called him out as a clueless Jackass and asked him "have you not been conscious the past 19 months? Try lightening up and giving the employee a break. He might be one worker where five normally are, and he's busting his *** off to keep dumbasses like yourself happy as a customer."

Our local Denny's is carry-out only, and open just eight hours/day. IHoP is open just 15 hours/day, from 0530 to 2030. Last time I was in there, there was one cook, one gal waiting tables, and one that was washing dishes and bussing tables. Three people. Total. Yet, the food was very good, the dishes clean, and the service was pretty damned good, considering! I tipped her a ten on a $12.55 bill. The skeleton crew of three deserved a lot better.
 
They are gone here. Rumor has it that they are history. Again just a rumor.
 
Pep Boys retail has gone in most locations, for good. What locations are left, is basically a garage to bring your car in for work, or tires. That's it.
 
I try and tip any server well.
They deserve it, not an easy job.
 
Two batteries from pep boys, both about a year old with three year free replacement warranty. Going stone dead in my box truck. Went to three pep boys stores looking for replacement, assuming one was draining the other.
The first two stores didn't have one on the shelf but directed me to the next store. Third store tested them both, said they were both good. Okay, we'll see.
The point? Shelves were virtually empty in all three stores, all three closing up.
(Oh, the batteries seem okay, as long as the truck is driven often enough)
 
Don Frelier said:
Any guesses how long the doors will be open?
Click to expand...

I predicted the first of the year that around the Fall timeframe, that there would be a economic slowdown, and supply shortage. I believe it's now starting to happen! It's not just with the 3 Stooges auto parts but everything in general! Stay prepared people!
 
patrick66 said:
Every business has "Help Wanted" signs out, with no applicants.

One of my co-workers was whining that the fast food joints that used to be open 24/7 aren't anymore, he can't get his taco fix at 3am, and he ******* about the service he gets. Oh, and he is a Lefty. I just shook my head, called him out as a clueless Jackass and asked him "have you not been conscious the past 19 months? Try lightening up and giving the employee a break. He might be one worker where five normally are, and he's busting his *** off to keep dumbasses like yourself happy as a customer."

Our local Denny's is carry-out only, and open just eight hours/day. IHoP is open just 15 hours/day, from 0530 to 2030. Last time I was in there, there was one cook, one gal waiting tables, and one that was washing dishes and bussing tables. Three people. Total. Yet, the food was very good, the dishes clean, and the service was pretty damned good, considering! I tipped her a ten on a $12.55 bill. The skeleton crew of three deserved a lot better.
Click to expand...
I said all this when we first started the "shutdowns" - people didn't do the mental math to realize how hard it would be to a) refill the supply chains, and b) refill the workforce. Every day we're shut down is another week of recovery (or more).

People don't get it.

I don't like how the shelves are half-empty at the grocery lately. 'Normal' stuff just...isn't there. Stuff that IS there, is crazy-priced. Ribeye steak, $19/lb, was the big one I noticed this past weekend. All my other foodstuffs are up an average of 17-20%. Local sub shop says "chicken shortage" and they don't offer half of their chicken products anymore.

Time to start hoarding canned stuff again...just to be safe.
 
Pep Boys bought out all the Parts Plus stores and with that purchase and Covid they are broke the 3 Pepboys stores around me have nothing and the Parts Plus stores have to order in eveything we need. They will all be gone by the end of the year. I spend over 100,000.00 with Parts Plus in 2019 in 2020 30,000.00 this year so far 8000.00. The writing is on the wall
 
There is a Pep Boys by me that has both the retail and the repair businesses in one location. The retail shop closed over the summer. The repair business is still open. According to the counter staff, the two entities where completely different companies.
 
I have not shopped a Pep Boys/3 Stooges parts store in years. They were never all that good back in their hay day either...MHO...so I cannot really comment on their supplies and shelving status. You may be better off in using the others out there as they seem to be better able to keep their shelves stocked...cr8crshr/Bill:usflag::usflag::usflag:
 
Last edited:
Ours closed up the retail store a year or two ago but maintained the service center in operation under the Pep Boys logo. An Auto Zone has moved into the retail portion of their store.
 
All we have around here is the garage /tire s Pep Boys. I buy all my Coopers from them and have even had them do some work which they did a great job on.
Their lifetime alaignments are a deal at $120.
 
Pep Boys was purchased a few years ago by Carl Icahn-remember him? Everything he touched turned to crap like TWA, Ozark Airlines and others.
They bought a few tire store chains and are now focusing on service and tire service, things you cant get on the Internet.
 
Just a note: a lifetime warranty (or ANY warranty, really) is only good for the lifetime of the company making the warranty.
I bought a water pump for a vehicle that killed water pumps (too much spring tension on the mono belt) from a company, BECAUSE of a lifetime warranty.



Company was dead and gone, in six months, about two months before the water pump failed again.
 
There was a thread on it here IIRC too

IIRC they were downsizing,
closing most all stores or going thru receivership
sold off & takenover a while back
can't remeber by who
(I Don't shop there)
I haven't seen a Pep Boys for 125 miles, around here in years
 
AR67GTX said:
Ours closed up the retail store a year or two ago but maintained the service center in operation under the Pep Boys logo. An Auto Zone has moved into the retail portion of their store.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure that's what's going on with the Pep Boys store down the street from me, here in my city.
The service bays seem to be open, but with limited cars these days.
The last time i was in, the store itself was probably 90% empty.

Pep Boys, the combo auto parts and repair centers that have been around for 100 years as of this year, is shutting its retail stores here in the Valley but will retain the service centers. ... Some 109 Pep Boys in California will be converted into Advance Auto Parts stores over the next year, for example.May 4, 2021
 
Last edited:
Jerry Hall said:
Rumor has it that they are history.
Click to expand...

hemi446 said:
The writing is on the wall
Click to expand...
I have heard this too. We have a store in Henderson, Haven't been there in a long time as a AutoZone and O'Riley's and Car Quest opened a few blocks away.
The Pep Boys in Henderson had a huge parts department .I'll have to go and check it out.
 
Triplegreen500 said:
I said all this when we first started the "shutdowns" - people didn't do the mental math to realize how hard it would be to a) refill the supply chains, and b) refill the workforce. Every day we're shut down is another week of recovery (or more).

People don't get it.

I don't like how the shelves are half-empty at the grocery lately. 'Normal' stuff just...isn't there. Stuff that IS there, is crazy-priced. Ribeye steak, $19/lb, was the big one I noticed this past weekend. All my other foodstuffs are up an average of 17-20%. Local sub shop says "chicken shortage" and they don't offer half of their chicken products anymore.

Time to start hoarding canned stuff again...just to be safe.
Click to expand...
I agree, most all stores are getting short on inventory. The shut down is to blame for all of it. I was at the grocery store with my wife not two days ago and asked one of the workers where is this or where is that, his response was, we just can't get it and the chicken shortage is a joke, wings are in short supply. If you don't think we get a lot of our crap from China, just wait for all those container ships off the coast of California to unload. I have no idea when this head game is going to end, but, I wish it was yesterday. I'm buying my OSB that was around 12 dollars a sheet before all this, that went to 46 a sheet and now it's around 17. I'm sick of all of it.
 
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