Seems like they are finally cleaning house at Corp in the auto dept. it’s about time !!!
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They announced today that we are down to one supplier for diehard batteries. Jci will no longer supply us. All batteries will be from east penn
If keeping auto centers supplied wasn't an issue they wouldn't have closed them down by the hundreds well in advance of the actual stores. Auto centers were problematic long before the bankruptcy, and even before the Amazon deal.
Getting parts is not a problem, Eddie has ties to Auto Nation and Auto Zone still, I believe.
Getting c-appy OTC stuff is easy, as it all comes from China or there are always dozens of eager small companies who want to sell big orders of air fresheners and snake oil..
The big issue is Tires, Batteries, and possibly bulk oil (although with oil they can grab off the shelf, its just not cost effective but better than losing a sale)
I think Batteries will be the big impact, especially since they want to rep the DieHard brand, and there are only a few companies that could handle batteries on a national scale, I believe that currently the country is split down the middle with Johnson Controls and East Penn each taking half of the country for battery supply.
Tires, you just may notice lack of stock, and less quality options. Not being able to have full tire stockrooms and being able to do tires on the spot will hurt, but often Sears could get them ordered fairly quickly (plus there is less carrying costs, so it may be a wash)
Make zero on the tire, but make the money on the labor.
@XfaRkK0-1jzk I was not cheering the loss of someones job. Just questioning why in the world would anybody consider franchising from sears considering there history of success. One must know the past to navigate the future.
Anyone cheering the job loss of another is a sociopath. May karma find you swiftly and painfully.
The only way they'll be able to get parts in stock again is if they take remove the Sears sign and put up NTB, Jiffy Lube, and Discount Tire Center signs up. Auto supply vendors want absolutely nothing to do with Sears.
So how is sears home services franchises working out for many of them hard working people?
Here is where Sears Auto Center(s) are headed.
Steady stream of income for Sears. Not a bad idea, but given the volatile relationship Sears has with some of its vendors, I would be wary if Auto Center had to rely on Sears for inventory.
https://www.franchisegator.com/franchises/sears-auto-centers/