AutoZone 1999 Annual Report Download - page 10

Stores
Twenty years ago, the typical aftermarket parts store
was a dusty, dimly lit room stacked indiscriminately with
parts and accessories. Customer service was optional,
and not very likely.
And then came Forrest City, Arkansas,
Ð home of our very first store.
Fortunately, our founder came from a
family of grocers Ð a lineage of customer
service innovators who understood the
value of what we now call "the box."
ItÕs the space in which the customer
meets your product and your people. It
can be a dark, forbidding warehouse, or,
in AutoZoneÕs case, a bright and clean
environment where folks feel welcome.
That was our gamble. That do-it-yourselfers prefer
the modern retail experience, the experience that
wasnÕt available anywhere else in 1979.
We were right.
Our colorful displays, our expertly
designed parts aisles and, believe it or not,
our shiny linoleum floors, drew in quite a
crowd of customers.
And competitors, too. So many, in fact,
that industry analysts adopted the term
"Zone Clones" for those who choose to
honor us with the highest form of flattery.
But we always manage to stay ahead
of the game. Our real estate group
searches non-stop for the perfect location in every
neighborhood and factors in maximum parking
availability in every choice.
And we donÕt just drop the same size box in every
neighborhood. Because, letÕs face it, no
two neighborhoods are alike. We do our
homework to determine which of our
store designs best fits the local market.
Yes, itÕs a science. And it pays off.
With 2,717 applications of our formula
Ð sparkling stores, top-quality parts and
trademark customer service Ð we think
itÕs safe to say that what it took to do the
job right on July 4, 1979, in Forrest City,
Arkansas, is still what it takes today.
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