Advance Auto parts, formerly known as CarQuest, recently laid off 400 employees and has announced the intent to sell its sister company Worldpac. Its going to be a really good move for both of them since realistically the two weren't aligned anymore, especially on the west coast. Advance removed thier bottle neck of middle management so they can pivot and respond better, bringing the top level vision closer to the boots on the ground. With the sale of Worldpac, it will add capital for their expansion to gain a long over due equal foot print. With O investing heavily on delivery times and the Zone relying on thier full pay labor claims, it will be interesting to see if AAP fills the gaping hole Napa left in blending commercial with the technology tree. Or will it harkins back to it's east coast roots of hitting better programs to just become a faster zombie version of the Zone. This makes Worldpac a prime purchase for whoever wants to be the next great empire in euro/asian market with thier intuitive online ordering system and incredibly punctual delivery system. Lacking a store front presence, they could gain from an alignment that utilizes that commercial vibe to create some type of labor claim program to make them more attractive to strategic accounts. Domestic dealers like USD and FMP come to mind, creating a real all makes aftermarket dream come true. Although a buyout from an online company like Pelican or SSF wouldn't be so terrible either. Super exciting times for all you P2s out there, see you parts cowboy...
