Advanced Auto Parts stores in Kent, Federal Way and Auburn are expected to close early next year as part of a nationwide reduction in locations.
Washington State Employment Security released a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Nov. 15 that General Parts Distribution had notified it about the layoff of 100 employees at nine locations in Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Lakewood, Burien and Puyallup. General Parts Distribution is a subsidiary of North Carolina-based Advanced Auto Parts.
The expected beginning date of the layoffs and store closures is Feb. 26, 2025.
The Kent store is at 7818 S. 212th St.; the Federal Way store at 33530 Pacific Highway S.; and the Auburn store at 2402 Auburn Way N.
Staff from the state’s Employment Security’s local rapid response team and WorkSource center will perform outreach to employees of the organization to ease their transition.
Advanced Auto Parts reported in a Nov. 14 press release that is executing a strategic plan to improve business performance with a focus on core retail improvements. It plans to close 523 Advance corporate stores, exit 204 independent locations and close four distribution centers.
The goals include a standardization of store operating model and improving labor productivity; acceleration in pace of new store openings; merchandising excellence; strategic sourcing to improve first costs and bring parts to market faster; assortment management to enhance availability of parts; pricing and promotions management to improve gross margin; consolidation of distribution centers to operate 13 large facilities by 2026; opening of 60 market hub locations by mid-2027; and optimization of transportation routes and freight to lower costs and improve productivity.
As of Oct. 5, Advance operated 4,781 stores primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,125 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands, according to the company’s website.
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