It was just a few decades ago that most of the auto parts stores in Maine were small, mom & pop, stores.

Because of a lack of selection, these stores often had to order certain parts, but they knew who you were and what vehicles you frequently needed parts for.

These days, the majority of auto parts stores in Maine, and much of the rest of the country, are large chains.  O'Reilly, NAPA, and AutoZone, for example.

Now, it looks like one of the biggest auto parts chains is going to be doing some major downsizing.

 

Advance Auto Parts to Close & Sell Hundreds of Locations

According to an article in Chain Store Age, the company has hired Hillco Real Estate to sell off 200 leased locations and 24 owned locations across the nation.

The article explains that, back in November, the company announced that it was going to close over 500 corporate-owned stores and 'exit' over 200 independently owned locations.  This was all part of a plan that would allow the company to "focus on core retail improvements".

 

Will These Closures Affect Stores in New England?

At this point, we are not sure.  Or, to be more accurate, we can't be certain without signing an NDA.

According to the Hilco Real Estate site, none of the stores that have owned real estate are located in New England.

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The stores that are located in leased buildings are, reportedly, spread across 46 states.  You can get more details about those locations from the Hilco Real Estate site.

So far, we have not heard that any of our Maine Advance Auto Parts stores are going to be closing.  As this would mean the loss of hundreds of jobs across the state, we hope this does not happen.

Currently, the chain has just under 4,500 stores across the nation.

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