1998: Retail Auto Parts Chain
RETAIL AUTO PARTS STORE CHAIN
As a member of the senior management team for an automotive retailer in Canada, we continuously evaluated new opportunities for expanding distribution and sales opportunities for the automotive group. A successful concept that had been evaluated several times was the idea to deliver to the market a chain of auto parts stores that focused on servicing the Do-it-Yourself (DIY) market. This concept was a success in the U.S.A. and could easily be expanded into Canada.
Early in 1997 a team was assembled to re-consider this retailing concept as a growth potential retailing opportunity as well as a defensive strategy against a U.S. based competitive entry. It was assessed that it is best to own the competitive business model than to compete against it. During the following year the strategy was completed and delivered to the
market place in early 1999. The chain started out with four locations in one province to almost 100 retail locations in four Canadian provinces. The chain is continuing to grow and meeting the needs of the niche market it planned on servicing.