Back in 1995, Terry Levine, owner of the Autopartstores of America in Bedford Falls, N.Y., felt as negative as a lot of small retailers about the future. "Things were starting to turn down. I could use the same excuses every one does: better cars, leasing, all the predators building stores. Luckily, they hadn’t encroached on my territory yet," said Levine. Barring the ability to station armed tanks at the West Chester and Putnam County lines to keep predators away from his stores, then called Academy Auto Parts, the best Levine could hope for was a buyout of his chain.

Terry’s father Irving and his Uncle William founded the chain in 1933 with a store in Yonkers, N.Y. Terry took over in 1970. Although he’d closed the Yonkers store in 1979, Levine built the chain to five stores by 1995. Still, he didn’t expect to last. Then he attended an RPM Group presentation on modernizing stores by Steven Alexander of Automotive In-Store Marketing, Sanibel Island, Fla. Levine was a founding member of the group.

"Everybody thought it was outrageously expensive," Levine recalls. Nonetheless he decided to try it out. "I had nice stores — for 1982," he jokes. "Thank goodness I decided to modernize. I contracted for one store in Carmel, N.Y. I chose that one because it was the closest to ADAP’s stores in Connecticut (the nearest competitor)."

Going modern

After an extensive review of the Carmel store, Alexander reached a few conclusions. "First, no back room. Everything will be on the sales floor," said Alexander. "Two, no more parts counter. Think about it. The most important place for customer interaction in the store is named after furniture. It is a Parts Center™. We positioned it as a relatively square shape in the dead center of the store with signs above it on all four sides and counters on all four sides. There was easy access for workers and a commanding position."

Levine followed through on the remaining four stores over the next four years and in 2000 had Alexander design his newest store in Brewster, N.Y., from the ground up.

Levine pointed out that while he was revamping his stores, nine competing jobbers closed because he was taking away the retail business. "Our growth rate was 10 percent annually since 1995. Totally opposite the industry." It wasn’t cheap, however. "For a complete store, total turnkey, close at six on Monday and reopen Friday, do the ceilings, floors, walls, gondolas, lighting, everything — it was $120,000. Considering the business I think it was very worthwhile. We now do about $1.4 million a store." Although he credits Alexander with maybe 75 percent of the change, Levine notes the chain did not stop with modernizing the stores. He extended his hours every day, including Sunday. He advertises heavily with direct mail and print. He runs DIY clinics and offers customers access to extensive repair guides.

Each year he takes three of his six managers and their families to Las Vegas for Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. At the show, each manager has to find 10 new items for the store. At year-end, if all 30 new items have produced more than $200,000 in new sales, the managers split 10 percent of the sales. It’s worked every year except 1998, which Levine believes was just a bad year for new products.

The research continues

Recently, he’s been surveying customers on Saturday and Sunday. "About five to seven percent have a definite opinion," Levine said. "Primarily we find items we aren’t stocking that customers will buy." One major new idea was a combination of Alexander’s redesign and customer input.

Back in 1995, Alexander used a new checkerboard floor tile with a yellow band encircling it to mark truck accessories. "I felt nine years ago, this was a growing opportunity," Alexander said. "We must embrace this trend. Truck accessories need more attention. We configured the store to create a Truck Center™ with unique graphics and bright colors."

The truck center did well and customers snapped up the merchandise. But through his weekend surveys Levine found he was losing some truck accessory customers because he did not install hang-on accessories, such as running boards and auto vent shades. So this year Levine is opening what he calls a "damp" store in Mahopac, N.Y., equipped with five bays, two of which are dedicated to fast oil changes. "No brakes, no shocks, we’ll just install accessories and change oil." Levine said installations will be menu priced with the installations built into a slightly higher selling price of the accessory.

Once again, Levine is trying to be truly unique. The store is in a shopping center and customers can drop off their vehicle and go shopping. When they are done shopping, they can push a button on a hand-held device and a light comes up at Levine’s store. Clerks will pick up the customers and even help load the groceries. "It might become a trend," Levine said. If it does, he’s ready and is already negotiating for another "damp" store in a Carmel shopping center. In this one, he hopes to install a brushless car wash along with the installation. The mentor and the owner continue to work side by side. "He’s dynamic and he’s in every store every day," Alexander said. "He knows his customers and he knows his employees. His success is a combination of design and management style. While other people are running away from the business, he’s busy expanding."

For his part Levine concedes that in the early 1990s, he didn’t think he’d have a business to pass on to his heirs. There is daughter Geryl Kowalski, who is vice president. Kowalski’s husband Jim and Levine’s son, Larry, are both store managers, while Levine’s wife Beth does the bookkeeping. "It’s a real family business," Levine said. "I give Steve credit. In 1994 or so I was like everybody else. Ready to go. But with his help, I bucked the trend."

Fresh Ideas Along with the store design ideas you find regularly in Aftermarket Business there are other publications that can be vital resources for you. Check out these publications as you consider a new look:   Visual Merchandising & Store Design, 513-421-2050;      www.stpubs.com   Display & Design Ideas, 847-647-7987;      www.ddimagazine.com   Store Equipment & Design, 215-788-7054;      www.storequip.com