AAP and the entire car part market benefited from the biggest bubble in resto car prices ever. Loads of garages opening up specifically to make and sell resto cars drove parts market.
Prices have been falling for around a year or so from crazy levels, like 100K for an old Chevy or Ford. Nowhere to go but down from here, especially with the entire economy falling too.
http://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-car-market-sothebys-2017-8
As in life, don't believe anything you hear or read, and only half of what you see........................
I do all the work on mine and my wife's car. Both 100K earners in the legal field, and I shop the auto parts stores to save a buck. AAP is just a bad company, not a sign of the overall economy. I should introduce some of you to my conspiracy minded neighbor in TX. He has a very popular radio show and you all sound like his type of listeners.
Advance sells cheap China parts to the average Joe that thinks he will save a buck and make it to his minimum wage job driving a vehicle from a buy here pay here lot hoping it holds together long enough till it is paid for. Rinse and repeat.
Hilarious. I recall reading posts by AAP employees saying the new car market doesn't affect AAP sales, so slowing new car sales has nothing to do with it.
Now these guys say the resto market has no impact on AAP either.
So.......................if AAP doesn't cater sell new car parts or old car parts, what exactly does AAP sell?
ROFL!!
Any car guy with a brain is not buying or even attempting to buy crap parts from any of the big box stores to fix a classic car.
And you really think Advance will have those parts for old iron? Most restoration parts are purchased online.