AutoZone - number of stores 2010-2021

In the fiscal year of 2021, the AutoZone operated almost 6,800 stores. The majority of the stores were located in the United States.

AutoZone’s presence in the U.S. market

The automotive parts retailer operated 6,051 stores in the U.S. in August 2021. In its 2019 annual report, AutoZone states that it generally opens new stores based on customer buying behaviors and market demands, but it acknowledges that these factors are heavily dependent on economic conditions. Furthermore, AutoZone recognizes that a declining economy might reduce consumers’ spending by delaying maintenance or repair. Indeed, the Covid-19 crisis has caused sales in the automotive market to drop and fluctuate as customers reconsider and postpone their purchases and investments.

Risk factors

While AutoZone is aware that the opportunity for online sales is significant and necessary in order to remain competitive with Amazon and other e-tailers entering the aftermarket segment, it believes that its customers consider face-to-face interaction with a salesperson more trustworthy and valuable. However, shifting attitudes toward personal interaction versus contactless interaction in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak reveal that U.S. customers may be more likely to purchase a car online than before the pandemic.