04/16/2018

Advance Unveils Comprehensive Product Platform

Source: Tire Business

Advance Auto Parts Inc. has rolled out a nationwide program that allows shop owners, technicians and Advance Auto employees to view the firm's entire product lineup on one platform, powered by a new catalog.

The program allows cross banner visibility to more than one million products offered by Advance, Carquest and Worldpac, ranging from original equipment to aftermarket brands.

Advance said the platform will help reduce time spent researching and ordering parts and decrease product delivery times for customers.

Bob Cushing, executive vice president, Advance, said the platform will allow Advance the ability to say "yes" to more customers.

"Cross banner visibility brings together all of our enterprise product offerings to give the professional customer more choices," Mr. Cushing said.

Advance began using cross banner visibility in select markets during 2017 in a pilot program that included professional customers and company-owned stores. Additional locations were added as product availability and assortment, as well as delivery routes, were refined.

As of December, Advance operates 5,054 stores and 129 Worldpac branches, employing around 71,000 in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also serves 1,218 independently owned Carquest-branded stores in these locations in addition to Mexico and the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, British Virgin Islands and Pacific Islands.