Based on the NAPA store we use in Rosedale MD, it can't hurt. They want year make and model for a can of spray paint..........useless
Not much IMO. NAPA is a shadow of what it once was when you could be positive that whatever you bought would be quality. Not cheap, but unquestioned quality. My local one is nearly useless as they don't stock much of anything, every time I call them (very rarely these days) it's 'we can have here tomorrow' which doesn't help me today. While I'm not a big fan of O'Reillys either, the local one does carry a decent stock and few counter guys that aren't dummies. For me personally, I only have three parts houses available locally; NAPA, O'Riellys and Advance. The latter is nearly useless as all the counter help are strictly computer jocks and have trouble reading a tape measure much less any vehicle knowledge. As all three are within a half mile of each other, I can see one of them disappearing in a merger.
The Napa warehouse (open to the public) is about 15 miles from here. they are open 7 days a week and until 10pm on weekdays. They have everything and have saved me on numerous occasions
My local NAPA has nowhere to go but down, they have always been my go to for the parts no one else has. Custom made hoses while you wait, best battery in town, counter help that didn’t take a short bus to work or didn’t sleep in a dumpster last night. The worst thing about it is that they could be just like one of the two O Riles in town, **** parts and services.
NAPA used to and in some cases still does carry a bit higher quality part. Always higher price though. Also used to have senior counter people, rather than hit or miss of the other chains, but that has always varied by location. Funny, I ran across a news article yesterday and was going to post it, but thought conversation would veer off the rails. Guess it sure provides a backdrop on how one big parts place can afford to buy another big parts place. I am sorry mods, if this gets nasty. https://ips-dc.org/report-americas-20-largest-low-wage-employers-and-the-affordability-crisis/
...The sad part about consolidation in the industry is that when all compe***ion is eliminated, prices invariably rise and quality seldom does.
@lothiandon1940 When I moved here, there was a independent mom and pop store at the far end and an AZ at this end. The first closed and the second is still here. 10 years ago, O'R opened. 2 years ago, a NAPA opened. I have been in 2 times. It was clean, well stocked and expensive. No back shop, like the one a town over. I have to commute to get to the modern version of the old NAPA! EDIT: as to your reply, or it goes like that manufacturer conglomerate that went belly up. Most recent article https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/first-brands-moves-ahead-with-liquidation-plan-2026-06-13/
About 75% of NAPA's are privately owned. Oriellys are all corporately owned stores . Unless something changes with that system (very doubtful)there will be a lot of business owners whose future would be up in the air.
Where I grew up the local Napa was gold. Had parts books on the table and parts on the rack out back. Guys behind the counter that knew your name, had a clue what they were talking about and could get you what you needed. Those days are apoarently long gone. With the Private Equity takeovers I'm not surprised at this news. None of it will be good for us...
I’m lucky I have NAPA - private owned, O Reillys - private owned, Auto Value - regional chain and a Car Quest that is private all good with good people, Advance is gone and AZ ****s. I can usually get what I need or want right away or a day or two. I have been to some NAPAs in other areas that are terrible. Dan
our local small town napa is a joke. Way over priced rip off.... And they never have any parts in stock. "They gotta order it".... No !... Ill go home and order from Rock Auto O'Rileys is a way over priced rip off ... Auto Zone was better but they are probably over priced now too
If that deal goes through I will say that even though our local Napa stores have their faults, I like doing business with them because the Napa stores and the Napa warehouse that's nearby are locally owned. I always like doing business with something closer to Mom and Pop type businesses. The main Napa store I go to actually has a couple people on staff now that can actually figure things out without looking up make and model. The Napa store that's closest to me gets deliveries two or maybe even three times a day so if I call by mid-morning they can have the part for me about noon. I do some business with O'Reilly's but somehow walking into it it doesn't feel like a "real" parts store like days gone by when there was a friendly face behind the counter with a catalog rack to look things up. When you're building a hot rod, you're generally looking for oddball things and it used to be that they would have a catalog that you could look up specs on things like shock absorbers looking for a collapsed and extended length as well as a stroke that will work out for an unusual application, but I guess those days are quickly going by the wayside. 10 billion dollars..... That's a lot of money! Lynn
As an old guy I can echo about the old NAPAs. Knowledgeable, friendly and convenient. New ones, not so much. That’s good to know about the warehouse being open to the public. The one in Memphis always was , and there is one in Nashville about 20 miles from me on 840. I’ll check it out. Thanks Mark @Moriarity for jogging my feeble brain!
Back when I was running my shop in town I would get starters and alternators from NAPA as they were much better quality. Over the years the quality went down hill but the price didn't. Back then it was NAPA O'Reilly and carquest.
Pretty much covered here, but I share the same belief. The best NAPA stores are in rural areas where local farm boys and true do-it-yourselfers man the counter. They can make a hydraulic hose, diagnose a problem by asking a few questions, and chase down an in-stock part without a computer. Those days are long gone in suburbia... O'Reilly has gone down hill in the last 10 years as well. I hate to say it, but my local Auto Zone is actually on par with the local O'Reilly. I suspect this buyout can do nothing but compound the problems. Certainly don't see things improving.
Well this is bad news The Napa here in town is AWESOME. It is the ONLY parts store I can walk into and say "I need an oil filter for a small block chevy" without being asked a million questions while the person is clicking away on the computer. The O'Reilly's here ****s. Last Monday night I ordered a timing cover on O'Reilly's Website for delivery to the store Tuesday afternoon by 3:30 Tuesday morning I got a call from an older guy from the store the around 11am saying the order came in early and it is ready for pickup come on in. Drove over to the store walked in and an imbecile worthless know it all told me your order is not ready because it was for pickup after 3:30 and there is no way the part is here and no way anyone from the store called blah blah blah. After the ****head stopped talking I showed him my call history and the dip**** actually went to the back. I could hear the person I had talked to in the back talking. About a 1 minute later dumb **** comes back and handed me my cover. Maybe O'Reilly will close their store here and keep the Napa, because I dont see myself going into that O'Reilly unless I absolutely have to
Napa has a main hub in Birmingham Oreillys has a main hub south of Birmingham both have been great when I had to have a part. the counter issue with chain part stores is simple. I give em part numbers They give me parts. for new cars I take I pic of the vin super EZ luv our Autozone and oreillys.
Man, lots of you guys feel exactly like me. NAPA customer for damn near 65 years......and I miss the old parts store days. NAPA is nothing like it used to be here, but lots of parts in the warehouse still be in your hand the next morning.
Curious to see what happens in this deal. A good friend of mine owned one of our Napa stores and it was great. But, he sold out to O’Reillys and retired a year or two ago. Anyway, thankfully we have some decent guys at the O’Reillys 5 minutes from my house. I don’t buy from the local Napa even though I used to work there. It has gone downhill since the current owners dad p***ed away and he took it over. My concern is just the lack of compe***ion and what could happen to prices. However, many folks don’t seem to support the local parts stores anymore anyway.
Years back I went to an out of town box store auto parts place to get a battery temperature sensor, no kidding I had to argue with the parts guy for several minutes. He said there is no such thing I finally convinced him to type it in. Oddly they had one and my battery was back to charging in short order. When I was in HS I worked for a local Auto parts/Machine shop our countermen were like walking automotive encyclopedias they looked stuff up occasionally but oftentimes they knew exactly which part was needed. I was always amazed. We have a few those type guys at our local parts store, I’m grateful. Dan
Back in the small East Tennessee town I moved from the locally owned parts store was the BEST. Knowledgeable, helpful, and courteous. And the owner, Mark, was hands on, everyday! His greeting every time I would go in was “Well, whatta you working on today”, knowing that it wasn’t run of the mill. Most of the time he knew the part number and just went and pulled the part. And gave me a nice discount for my loyalty. The thing is, he also owned the NAPA store, and when I left the big O was opening a store. Wonder what he did? The NAPA was pitiful and couldn’t ever have more than two customers in the parking lot. And one of them was a friend of the manager. Hopefully he sold it to big O and got a bag of cash, not that he needed it.
For a while, I delivered parts for our local NAPA store. The owner back then was a jerk. A few years after he retired and sold out, it was a great place to do business. Then those guys sold out. I think it has changed hands a few times since then. About the only time I go there is if I'm in a bind and need something immediately and they are my last chance. About 1/2 of those times, the NAPA had in stock the part I needed. I got to know the manager of the local O' Reilly's a few years ago, and they have been my go to parts store since. My 2nd option was Car Quest (now Advanced), both O' Reilly's and Advanced have gone down hill a bit the last couple of years because of company policy changes, but they are still light years ahead of AZ. I don't go to NAPA enough to compare the differences. Unless I have a current project, I don't buy many auto parts these days. Its getting harder to find actual parts for the vehicles I own, in stock at any parts store. Seems everything needs to be ordered these days, but my newest vehicle is now over 22 years old.
My "local" parts store is the Parts Authority. Yes they are a chain with about 250 locations mainly back east and I don't know the ownership linage. But I have been trading at this location since I got out of the Army in'73. It has undergone several transitions/ownership's but it still has the old time parts house feel. Sandy the manager has been there for ever and knows her stuff as does Dominic, one of the other parts guys. They know my name, look up weird stuff in the old books and if they don't have it in stock they usually can get it the same day or next day at the latest. 95% of the time the beat the compe***ion but on the off chance they are more they match or beat the price. JMO
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