Western Auto
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Western Auto Supply Company—known more widely as Western Auto—was a
Started in 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, by George Pepperdine and Don Abnor Davis, Pepperdine would later found Pepperdine University.[1]
Western Auto was purchased by Beneficial Corporation in 1961; Western Auto's management led a leveraged buyout in 1985, leading three years later to a sale to Sears. Sears sold most of the company to Advance Auto Parts in 1998, and by 2003, the resulting merger had led to the end of the Western Auto brand and its product distribution network.
After the demise of Western Auto, the company's corporate headquarters at 2107 Grand Boulevard in
History
Western Auto originally started as a mail order business for replacement auto parts. The first retail store was established in 1921, and grew quickly as automobiles became increasingly more common. At one point, there were over 1,200 company-owned stores nationwide, usually located in metropolitan areas, and more than 4,000 associate stores (private, franchised, "dealer" locations), usually located in small towns. The associate store program was the first of its type, pioneering the way for modern day franchise operations. The company had five regional distribution centers in the United States, with the North Carolina center serving stores in Puerto Rico.[citation needed]
In addition to the auto parts stores, Western also owned two middle-sized tire store chains, a mobile radio maker called Midland International, and Eva Gabor International Ltd., a wig supplier. (source: LA Times)
Private labelling
Western Auto was known for its
Firearm sales
This section possibly contains original research. (August 2018) |
Sometime in the 1940s or 1950s,[
Other than markings, Revelation models were identical to standard production models. They were the most basic models produced by the various manufacturers, and featured plain birch or walnut stocks. However,
Beneficial
In 1961, Western Auto was sold to the Beneficial Finance Corporation. Beneficial retained ownership until 1985, when the company was purchased in a leveraged buyout led by Western Auto management and Wesray Capital Corporation.[3]
Streamlining business operations
In the early 1980s, in response to the success of
In February 1986, Western Auto purchased 40 White Stores in Texas from
Sears Roebuck & Co. purchase
In 1988,
In 1995, Western Auto acquired 84 auto parts stores in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee from the bankrupted Nationwise Automotive chain for an undisclosed amount[8] and later acquired Wheels Discount Auto Supply and its 82 auto parts stores in New York and Pennsylvania from its then owner Fay's Drug for $37 million.[9][10]
Also during 1995, Sears began to convert the Western Auto stores to the new parts-only Parts America format by eliminating the automotive service bays.[11] By 1998, Sears had almost finished converting the 600 remaining company owned Western Auto stores into Parts America branded stores.[12]
By the beginning of 1997, fewer than 850 company-owned stores remained. At that point, the associate stores were the main stores of the company, with their more diversified name-brand lines including appliances, electronics, hardware, typewriters, bicycles, go-karts and outdoor equipment/parts, and their reach into small-town America. Sears removed National Tire Warehouse and Tire America from Western Auto to form a new company called National Tire and Battery,[13] which Sears kept until 2003.[14]
From 1991 until the end of the 1997 season, Western Auto sponsored NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip's Winston Cup race team.[15] The specialty retailer also sponsored Al Hofmann's Funny Car in NHRA from 1994 to 1997.[16][17]
Advance Auto Parts merger
After weeks of speculation in 1998,
The merger between Western Auto and Advance Auto substantially expanded Advance's network to over 1,500 retail stores in 36 states.[20] Additionally, Sears Roebuck received a cash payment of $175 million USD, while Advance Auto's investors provided a further $70 million USD directly to Advance. Freeman Spogli & Co. organized an investment fund that was among the group of investors that provided Advance with the $70 million cash infusion.[20] Despite the 40% acquisition by Sears Roebuck, both companies maintained their Standard & Poor's "single-'B'-plus corporate credit rating". Analysts continued to speculate on the "financial flexibility" of Advance Auto at the time expecting the company to "take advantage of other opportunistic acquisitions".[21]
A few of the associate stores converted to Sears Dealer stores. The remainder of the company-owned stores, located primarily in the eastern United States, were then converted into Advance stores. The remaining associate stores were promised a great and long future in the tradition of Western Auto, a promise that was not kept.[citation needed] Advance gave little support to the associate store operation and as a result most dealers found themselves purchasing 70%+ of their merchandise from other suppliers and simply using the Western Auto name.[citation needed]
Demise of the Western Auto distribution network
In October 2003, Advance Auto notified the Western Auto Supply Company that by January 2004 it "would no longer supply merchandise and services to the stores in its distribution network".[22] This decision brought an end to the Western Auto brand name after nearly a century in business. Some Western Auto store owners knew that such a decision by Advance Auto was inevitable after noticing "a trend of discontinued brands, lack of computer point-of-sale system updates, and shipments of fewer and fewer types of merchandise". Advance Auto Parts' spokesman, Shelia Stuewe, speaking on the matter stated "that the logistics of distributing appliances, home and garden supplies, auto parts and hardware to over 300 independent dealers scattered across 33 states became too much for the company to continue."[23]
Use of Western Auto name
Dealer stores were permitted by Advance Auto Parts a license to use the Western Auto name until 2006. After 2006, stores were to cease using the Western Auto name, but many stores continue to use the name. At this time, no storefront is licensed to use the name Western Auto or fly the Western Auto sign. Advance Auto Parts remains the owner of the registered trademarks and name "Western Auto" and enforces infringements on the name, but it is unknown if they have future plans for the name. Advance also owns the name Western Auto Supply Company which is registered in Virginia.[citation needed]
The Western Auto name was used by Advance Auto Parts in the
See also
- Western Auto Building
- Western Auto 200
- List of defunct retailers of the United States
References
- ^ David, Stratford (February 15, 2009). "You Can Still Come to Western Auto". BrandlandUSA. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ "Western Auto Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ "Western Auto Sets Buyout". Chicago Tribune. June 8, 1985. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ^ "Canadian Tire sells U.S. subsidiary". United Press International. February 28, 1986.
- New York Times. October 15, 1987.
- Washington Post.
- ^ Key, Janet (March 17, 1988). "Sears Buying Western Auto Supply". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ^ "Western Auto Buys 84 Nationwise Stores". Tire Business. October 16, 1995.
- Buffalo News. November 6, 1995.
- ProQuest 398596426.
Fay's Inc. said it completed the sale of its Wheels Discount Auto Supply unit to Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s Western Auto Supply Co. for $37 million.
- ^ Schmeltzer, John (October 6, 1995). "Sears May Shift Gears At Western Auto". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b Chandler, Susan (August 13, 1998). "Sears Explores Western Auto Sale: Advance Auto In Talks For Underperforming Unit". Chicago Tribune.
- New York Times. March 20, 1997.
- New York Times.
- ^ "Parts America, D.W. split". Motorsport Network. May 8, 1997.
- ^ Glick, Shav (February 5, 1994). "Drag Racing / Winternationals at Pomona : Cars Return With as Much Fun as Ever". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Glick, Shav (February 1, 1997). "Hofmann Discovers Not All Is Lost: Drag racing: Unsponsored and with new crew chief, he sets course record of 308 mph during Winternationals qualifying". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c d Podmolik, Mary Ellen (August 18, 1998). "Sears Sells Western Auto: Takes Advance Auto Parts Stake". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ "Advance Auto Parts and Western Auto Supply Co., Subsidiary of Sears, Announce Merger Plans" (Press release). PR Newswire. August 17, 1998. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Company News; Advance Auto to Merge with Sears Western Auto Unit". The New York Times. August 18, 1998. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ "S&P Afms Advance Stores' Rtgs Re: Western Auto Merger". The Auto Channel. August 19, 1998. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ "Western Auto Supply To End Wholesale Supply Program". Modern Distribution Management. October 10, 2003.
- ^ Whitehead, Julie (November 17, 2003). "No More: Dinosaurs, the Dodo...and Western Auto stores?". Mississippi Business Journal. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
- Virgin Islands Daily News. Archived from the originalon March 29, 2015.
External links
- Archive of official website
- Marchman, Jim (2004). The Last Western Flyer: The Western Auto Century. hdl:10919/9225.