NAPA Auto Parts

[Franco Cozzo]

Looks like NAPA stores are opening up across the country, WA seems to have good representation of this American monster:

https://napaparts.com.au/#AboutNAPA

Appears to be combining Appco, Ashdown-Ingram, Autostop, Covs, Global Auto Parts, R&E and Sulco all under the one roof - all the GPC Asia Pacific brands.

https://www.afr.com/companies/retail...0181206-h18sqb

[hayseed]

https://gpcasiapac.com/news/posts/20...rts-landscape/

[Interceptor]

Just a shame that Repco's hierarchy are so far out of touch that its had to come to this :-(

[Franco Cozzo]

Repco is part of the GPC Asia Pacific group but because the brand holds weight in Australia is the only reason they won't be turning into NAPA stores.

I'm assuming that BAPCOR may eventually head down the same path, I imagine they'll get bought out by a large American corporate group.

[Citroënbender]

Can’t wait for the NAPA tool loan program to roll out here.

And the DIY cans of R134A.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

And the DIY cans of R134A.

It's called Hychill and available out of Burson - hydrocarbon refrigerant that's a drop in replacement for r134a and R12 and government regulation free

https://hychill.com.au/products/minus-30

Cools better too!

Buy a set of scales, manifold gauges and a vacuum pump from eBay and I'll teach you muggles how to do cashies on the weekend - don't need the recovery machine because it's going to be recovered by the atmosphere

[Trevor 57]

BUT - the important questions will they stock 10mm sockets?

[snap0964]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

It's called Hychill and available out of Burson - hydrocarbon refrigerant that's a drop in replacement for r134a and R12 and government regulation free
https://hychill.com.au/products/minus-30
Cools better too!
Buy a set of scales, manifold gauges and a vacuum pump from eBay and I'll teach you muggles how to do cashies on the weekend - don't need the recovery machine because it's going to be recovered by the atmosphere

Yep, done all of that - been using it for years, really does come into it's own in >30°c temps.

EDIT: Only just noticed - Good to see minus 40 is available in the smaller aerosol cans, that'll be handy for home A/C.
IIRC was only prev available in the larger gas cylinders.

[73 4V XB]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

It's called Hychill and available out of Burson - hydrocarbon refrigerant that's a drop in replacement for r134a and R12 and government regulation free

https://hychill.com.au/products/minus-30

Cools better too!

Buy a set of scales, manifold gauges and a vacuum pump from eBay and I'll teach you muggles how to do cashies on the weekend - don't need the recovery machine because it's going to be recovered by the atmosphere

Nekminut...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by 73 4V XB

Nekminut...

image

I don't celebrate Halloween

[Bossxr8]

How dare you!

[hayseed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq4ZROrbg-Q

[dunga]

probably be a failure like amazon .

[FTE217]

I wonder why they bother tbh.
GPC success in the US is two fold, large population to feed its hungry consumers with car parts, plus expansion right down to Latin America/Mexico, all high pop markets no matter the opposition, there is room for competition.
Whereas here we are, a puny spot with just around 25M, 3 main cities that covers near on 90% of sales and they own a brand known for decades Repco.
Maybe they can't see the point on polishing up the turd who knows.
Their NAPA stratergy is not to have same Repco brands as much as possible and no doubt they want to hit the Bursons/Autobarns/Autopros/Auto Ones < the typical Retail/Trade mix spare parts stores but at the same time the NAPA branch will take sales OFF their fellow Repco store nearby as well - go figure.
Plan is for 160 odd stores led to believe.
They have no model to compete with Supercheap for its an out and out Retailer that has smacked them across the country no matter what many think, they know Retail (forget about they don't have good Trade people in every store they don't care to) and despite the negatives about them their machine is well run internally believe me.
Whereas GPC/Repco talking HQ here the culture is still behind the times - I'm amazed GPC US heirachy haven't figured that out to date........
If they sorted out their turd storewide Repco network of near on 400 incl NZ it would make far more sense.
What am I to know having been in the game for some 35yrs.

[Citroënbender]

Masters Hardware all over again, you reckon?

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Their NAPA stratergy is not to have same Repco brands as much as possible and no doubt they want to hit the Bursons/Autobarns/Autopros/Auto Ones < the typical Retail/Trade mix spare parts stores but at the same time the NAPA branch will take sales OFF their fellow Repco store nearby as well - go figure.

The first store started in an area where they were trying to recapture a market that the local Repco store was losing.

Originally Posted by FTE217

They have no model to compete with Supercheap for its an out and out Retailer that has smacked them across the country no matter what many think, they know Retail (forget about they don't have good Trade people in every store they don't care to) and despite the negatives about them their machine is well run internally believe me.

Yep, they're hell bent on taking on Supercheap at their own game regardless the cost.... Nevermind trying to get them to understand that if they stuck to what Repco has traditionally done best, and thats support the trade, But trying to get the hierarchy to understand that is impossible, they simply sit on their ***** in their flash new offices in rowville and blame the people on the frontline for not making their dreams come true.

Originally Posted by FTE217

Whereas GPC/Repco talking HQ here the culture is still behind the times - I'm amazed GPC US heirachy haven't figured that out to date........

I'm pretty sure its because the management types at GPC in the US are sufficiently insulated from the incompetence in Australia that they will remain blissfully unaware of the problems here until its too late.

Originally Posted by FTE217

If they sorted out their turd storewide Repco network of near on 400 incl NZ it would make far more sense.

Honestly, the problem IMO isnt at store level, its squarely located between regional manager level and Rowville. The stores once were staffed by mechanically knowledgeable people with more than a passing interest in the aftermarket automotive industry, now those staff have been pushed out by management who want "yes" men and women who will stand at the counters with a broad smile on their faces spouting the latest corporate approved greetings for less money than kids at mcdonalds, people who turn up to work to collect a paycheque with no more skills needed than to ask for a rego number and collect payment.

Originally Posted by FTE217

What am I to know having been in the game for some 35yrs.

I'm guessing not at Repco, not if your liver is still working.....

[FTE217]

Good post mate.
Yes I know the 1st store very well, he was ripe for the offer after all the halycon years under AB, I'm sure you know it.
Imagine after all they did for him for so long in turning a blind eye whereas so many other AB owners could only dream of to then change colours and out lol.......
Yes they tried years ago taking SCA opening nice new Retail style outlets right next door to SCA or abouts, another lost cause, wonder how this one will go ? I think I know who wins in the end. Correct they should just improve their Trade service and offers more so to beat Burson more than anything else and get back to what they know best.
GPC being offshore owners are one of many in the past who had done similar, some more so at the Wholesale Distributions levels, those companies also withdrew in time having spent a motza. The cycle keeps revolving.
Ofcourse the problems are more so from Regional,middle management and the ivory tower, like I said many fossils, some smart but with blinkers on for too long.
As for counter sales people, its not just about having yes types behind the counter the trouble more so is youth of today are not as practical as the types from the past.
Tech has changed the way people get prepared coming into the workforce, Trades men/women in the majority who ended up as Parts Interpreters back in the day new how to work on cars have gone, one reason is due to low wages in the game, what kid wants to do a Trade and then decides nup I'm going to work in Spare Parts today, wages suck.
OH&S screwed up another important cog in the system, Training nights.
The good ol Pizza and carton mixed with informative info presentations stopped due to having to pay OT, safety issues etcetc, pathetic.
Now these people behind the counter know F all as you quoted but to say computer says NO and without any hands on ability and less training they have no idea you could use X wigget instead being were out of X part number.
Online cataloging as good as it is to identify a part number has limited info compared to the ol printed catalog, the bible so to speak that had so much info to learn is another.
Nah mate the liver has copped its workout happily but very fortunate I didn't do my time with Repco.

[roKWiz]

From what I'm reading between the lines, this Aussie NAPA version ain't going to be anything like the US stores.

Just another half *ss SCA.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FTE217

As for counter sales people, its not just about having yes types behind the counter the trouble more so is youth of today are not as practical as the types from the past.
Tech has changed the way people get prepared coming into the workforce, Trades men/women in the majority who ended up as Parts Interpreters back in the day new how to work on cars have gone, one reason is due to low wages in the game, what kid wants to do a Trade and then decides nup I'm going to work in Spare Parts today, wages suck.
OH&S screwed up another important cog in the system, Training nights.
The good ol Pizza and carton mixed with informative info presentations stopped due to having to pay OT, safety issues etcetc, pathetic.
Now these people behind the counter know F all as you quoted but to say computer says NO and without any hands on ability and less training they have no idea you could use X wigget instead being were out of X part number.
Online cataloging as good as it is to identify a part number has limited info compared to the ol printed catalog, the bible so to speak that had so much info to learn is another.
Nah mate the liver has copped its workout happily but very fortunate I didn't do my time with Repco.

Yeah that sums it up, there's only two out of the 15 of us with trade experience in my sales crew.

Spot on with the crappy wages - particularly anything light vehicle stream.

Also another problem is that with better information systems they'd rather pay $38K than $50K+ for ex tradie or experienced parts interpreters.

Plus there's no real career development options really, as a front line sales crew at a Repco/Burson you're isolated from head office where you get noticed.

Generally the career path goes Trade - Parts Interpreter - Branch Manager - Category Manager, the last one is the guy in the head office who decides what products get bought in.

The problem is you need to be visible to head office if you're working for the big boys and that's the challenge, plenty of good sales crews working the front counter at Burson/Repco who have been in the same spot for 30 years which is a shame.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Repco is part of the GPC Asia Pacific group but because the brand holds weight in Australia is the only reason they won't be turning into NAPA stores.

I'm assuming that BAPCOR may eventually head down the same path, I imagine they'll get bought out by a large American corporate group.

Bapcor buys another Truck parts Business

https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/produ...ells-truckline

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Bapcor buys another Truck parts Business

https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/produ...ells-truckline

GPC Asia Pacific and BAPCOR are buying everyone - when you've got $1B worth of revenue whats $50M to throw at someone to absorb a competitor?

Its like Woolworths Safeway and Coles, eventually we'll all be owned by two massive corporations

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

GPC Asia Pacific and BAPCOR are buying everyone - when you've got $1B worth of revenue whats $50M to throw at someone to absorb a competitor?

Its like Woolworths Safeway and Coles, eventually we'll all be owned by two massive corporations

It's just a Big (or several Big) Ponzi Scheme/s in My Opinion..

Once they run out of stuff to Buy It'll come crashing Down...

[FTE217]

Acquisitions keep going, I know of another HDuty Company rumoured to have sold as well awaiting annoucement.
Sadly the Parts Industry is gone as we once knew it much like everything else.
Tech is wonderful we all enjoy the finger touch info BUT with the consolidations occuring all were doing in the end is putting humans out of work for its all about systems/and online when buying a company and reducing its staff. The good ones leave.
The expertise people are going, being a car enthusiast like all here I presume this is not good for those relying on the front counter people as in the past.
Stores more and more will become self serve, note pads at aisle's in front of X brand and so on..........
franco, yer wages have never been great TBH even when I was a young bloke but it did a path of stepping up that you enjoyed and IF fortunate you could end up having a reasonable wage with benefits.
I did my ticket, machanic brake specialist suspension specialist.
I looked ahead thinking f this I'm not going to work in the workshop till retirement.
Went to behind the counter, done well once I learnt all the part numbers, got to know other Reps ended up working for another good company just under State Manager and option could have moved Interstate to work at HQ but my course changed but I loved what I was doing.
Went into my family business at half the wage, worked our butts off and built up a nice little company in the game incl doing Export Sales that covers Asia/Middle East/Latin America now breaking into EU.
Friggin love what I'm doing, thats the key having passion.
All these acquisitions will opn holes and opportunities mind you.
As mentioned something will pop in time and doors will be there.
The GFC was our light bulb, we re structured surprisingly just as it hit and we were int he right spot at the right time.
This will occur again.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Acquisitions keep going, I know of another HDuty Company rumoured to have sold as well awaiting annoucement.
Sadly the Parts Industry is gone as we once knew it much like everything else.
Tech is wonderful we all enjoy the finger touch info BUT with the consolidations occuring all were doing in the end is putting humans out of work for its all about systems/and online when buying a company and reducing its staff. The good ones leave.
The expertise people are going, being a car enthusiast like all here I presume this is not good for those relying on the front counter people as in the past.
Stores more and more will become self serve, note pads at aisle's in front of X brand and so on..........
franco, yer wages have never been great TBH even when I was a young bloke but it did a path of stepping up that you enjoyed and IF fortunate you could end up having a reasonable wage with benefits.
I did my ticket, machanic brake specialist suspension specialist.
I looked ahead thinking f this I'm not going to work in the workshop till retirement.
Went to behind the counter, done well once I learnt all the part numbers, got to know other Reps ended up working for another good company just under State Manager and option could have moved Interstate to work at HQ but my course changed but I loved what I was doing.
Went into my family business at half the wage, worked our butts off and built up a nice little company in the game incl doing Export Sales that covers Asia/Middle East/Latin America now breaking into EU.
Friggin love what I'm doing, thats the key having passion.
All these acquisitions will opn holes and opportunities mind you.
As mentioned something will pop in time and doors will be there.
The GFC was our light bulb, we re structured surprisingly just as it hit and we were int he right spot at the right time.
This will occur again.

We're in the same process at the moment, its essentially automating my role out of existence but that's just any good business really, it should rely on process rather than the people.

The way people shop these days has changed too, with the internet people do their own research and searching rather than on the phone to their local parts shop for advice.

Two reasons:

A) The person behind the counter doesn't know **** from clay anyway - comes down to wages as well, pay peanuts get monkeys.

B) Why travel into the store when you can do it from the comfort of your couch?

I probably talk to circa 50+ people a day on the phone and send another 70+ emails to people, I don't want to spend my time away from work talking to people on the phone or over the counter, the last time I walked into the shops to buy something was before Easter 2018 to get a GPS for the road trip the day after as I hadn't bought one yet.

I do my research and then buy **** online and it comes to me, not the other way around

Do you have the product?
How much does it cost?
When can I have it?

The thing with Burson/Repco is they're high cost business models, 4 dudes on the counter, huge stock holdings, multiple delivery vehicles, that's why you pay heaps for their goods.

With the industry and the people its employing, the problem is the low wages so they're fishing for kids looking for their first jobs, then filling the experience gap with information systems - year, make, model.

The amount of times I've managed to get customers cars and forklifts moving again through macgyvering up an off the shelf solution out of stuff for boats for under $100 to the customer is nuts, at least once a week and its from parts and information not the catalogues, its all upstairs - that's initiative and experience.

We'll all be gone sooner than later though, its not a valuable/wanted skill these days, they just need someone to process transactions because for 90% of the case thats fine.

Car enthusiasts and auto tradies are an ace fit for becoming gun parts interpreters, the problem is the wages just aren't there and its literally a dead end these days.

Its all about career development these days - had I known that as 18 year old me I wouldn't have gone into automotive at all, though I do enjoy what I do.

I saw Startrack advertising for qualified heavy vehicle mechanics based in Tullamarine, wages were $67K/year gross, why would you do a 4 year apprenticeship on slave wages, buy tens of thousands worth of your own tools to do your job and get covered in carcinogens for that when you can be some accounts payable monkey at any business in Melbourne for the same with your only tools being a keyboard, mouse and a phone while you do after hours schooling to become a qualified accountant or something?

It goes some way to explaining why there is an over 50% drop out rates of apprentices.

I assume its different in states with mining industries where they want these trades and the wages on offer are much better but if you're in Melbourne/VIC the auto trades are crap, I had a customer whinge to me he couldn't get an auto electrician to come onboard even though he was offering market rates in Melbourne of $1000/week gross.

Mate I get paid more than that and I sit in an air conditioned office talking to people like you on the phone - and I'm an auto electrician!

[eb2fairmont]

It’s much the same in mining - hard to attract skilled labor.

Focus is now on standardising work - so for oil changes follow this procuedure so we don’t need as skilled a workforce. Of course the risk is a big bit of equipment goes bang but hey you get that.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by eb2fairmont

It’s much the same in mining - hard to attract skilled labor.

Focus is now on standardising work - so for oil changes follow this procuedure so we don’t need as skilled a workforce. Of course the risk is a big bit of equipment goes bang but hey you get that.

They were doing that in the dealership I started out at in 2010 - you had the unqualified blokes doing the express services - minor ones.

The mechanics were used for majors and other repairs.

I've got no idea on mining nor so I have any experience so I'm only speculating but I'd assume the white collar people would have it figured out that equipment is turned around in a way that you're probably not going to require the required skills outside of routine maintenance to undertake repairs unless in particular cases.

I imagine the LV fleet is all minor servicing then when its outside of the basics a new one comes in to replace it.

You only require X qualifieds with experience and you can have many more trade assistants working under them at cheaper rates.

One of my customers does that with their excavator fleet - they're all being turned over before they start breaking or requiring expensive maintenance.