Autozone/Carquest

Hello Everyone-
I keep hearing through the grapevine that Autozone may be purchasing Carquest. I felt it was strictly rumor but keep hearing it. Has anyone else heard this?

t

Hello Everyone-
I keep hearing through the grapevine that Autozone may be purchasing Carquest. I felt it was strictly rumor but keep hearing it. Has anyone else heard this?

t
It seems to be a rumor but having Auto Zone people in Raleigh and CEO of CARQUEST being in Memphis does cause people to talk.

It seems to be a rumor but having Auto Zone people in Raleigh and CEO of CARQUEST being in Memphis does cause people to talk.

Yeah, and the rumor is persistent. AutoZone stock is going up, too.

T

Am a Carquest jobber...just heard about this today in a high level meting for the first time! Funny part of it is that it was brought up as a denial by a big wheel at the end of the meeting...out of the clear blue sky....as if someone told him to make that point to me for no reason other than he was told to do so...I think that there may be more to this rumor than meets the eye..! Knowing that the current CEO is more concerned about money than he is about his customers...I believe that the rumor has valid fact..!!!

Srsly...I can still has cheezburger?

Anybody out there?

Yep

not selling - just buying their people.

Ok, I'll bite. AZ is buying Carquest people? Or Carquest is buying AZ people? A lot of AZ insider stockholders are repurchasing stock. This is interesting.

T

cq buying az people

Ok I'll swallow, why would CQ do this? Changing focus?
T

I'd just say why would CQ hire a bunch of AZ folks if it plans to sell out to them?

To help with transition? Why would Temple distract himself considering his BOA woes?

BOA - a mear distraction. Life begins and ends w/ CQ.

Yeah but major stockholders are asking for him to be removed, and there are some class action lawsuits. I bet Temple's name has been in the news more the last two months than in his entire career!

T

i won't comment on temple in this discussion other than a hell of a guy imho

I am not saying he isn't he has helped a lot of people. It is just that this is probably not one of the easiest times in his life. I have a lot of admiration for who he used to be.

T

i hear you. at any rate, i don't see CQ selling Z any time soon.

Have been involved with CQ for over 25 years and don't have a clue about what is going on.....but something is..!!! I think that we independants are in for a real screwing before this is all over!!!!

Well, AZ stock has been at 52 week high even though they have significant debt 164.00 or so ( and one forecaster says it may go to 185.00). Some analysts are stumped by all the AZ insiders repurchasing stock- hell maybe my questions are making their stock go up! If that's the case they owe me a little dividend. lol And, don't independents always get screwed by all these guys?

T

Basically what's happening with CarQuest as a whole company is it is trying to capture a piece of the retail pie and feels that if they merge or purchase as it seems they would be able to get into the markets that have strong numbers of customers who utilize AutoZones low prices that lure the do it your-selfer into their stores with the fancy promotions and cheap auto parts. To me Carquest feels that if they can get parts even cheaper thean what they already are then they can make double profit off the parts but who knows what's going to happen in this crappy economy i guess we will just sit back and wait but honestly it won't matter i mean if you put the two together you will still have a very poor out come. please respond with any thought or comments

Still hearing it, maybe third quarter. maybe Temple Sloan was too preoccupied with BoA.

I also have worked for carquest. I have not heard anything from old friends about the possibility of AZ buying CQ. Can you tell me more? Having met Temple it doesn't seem to fit his vision. Let me know.

I don't know, Carquest always seemed to be focused on jobbers-"We will never be your competitors", then got their own stores and some JV stores went after other CQ jobbers' business in their area. Now I keep hearing this. It really doesn't matter to me, it all seems to conflict with Temple's philosophy. Of course we are all struggling except AZ! LOL- Hey what's with O'Reilly not hiring anyone that used to work with their competitors? Most of us are not that brand loyal.

tbird

When you mention Temple do you mean Big T(Temple II) or T3 (Temple III), because big difference between management style and philosophy.

T3. The company seems to have lost its identity. I don't wish 'em bad. Nice people work for them.

tbird, How do you know so much about all this? I still haven't heard any of this.

I listen, I ask, I read.

I am not sure who you are listening to, speaking with or what you are reading but it appears that you are seriously misinformed. From everything I am hearing and seeing out of CQ they are extremely focused.

Focused! They zig zag all over they place! (A.D.D.)

I've been hearing O'Reilly is buying CQ. They have no position in the Northeast...seems pretty logical.