Advance Auto Parts is Advancing

In last months issue, FordMuscle came down pretty hard on national chain stores in the article Mini-Bikes and Vinyl Protectants. Considering parts counter service will probably never match the service found at the independent stores of yesteryear, the points made in the article are valid. However, when comparing national chain store to national chain store, if there is one player that is clearly rising above the rest in their effort to serve Do-It-Yourselfers like us, the leader is Advance Auto Parts. On January 16, Advance announced it has launched a new online consumer education initiative under the brand “Advance Know-How” on the Advance Auto Parts home page you’ll find step-by-step articles, product and project brochures, and two sections dedicated to video content. The FM staff took some time to review some of the articles and we must admit we are pretty impressed at the breadth of coverage and readability of their tutorials. More importantly, we are pleased to see that Samuel Hampton, director of marketing for Advance Auto Parts, considers more serious Do-It-Yourselfers and the internet a priority. Remember, efforts like “Advance Know-How” take a lot more capital and planning than figuring out how to stuff another tire protectant in the wash and wax section. See Advance’s Advance Know-How section and give us your thoughts.