ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TODAY

Advance Auto Parts is the second largest automotive after market retailer in the United States, operating in 37 states, with more than 1,700 stores, 7 distribution centers, 7 PDQ Warehouses and over 25,000 employees. Throughout the years, Advance Auto Parts has lead the industry in parts availability, price and customer service. But more than anything, the company has valued the hard work, dedication and commitment of its employees. Today more than 25,000 employees have committed themselves to bigger and brighter futures as Advance Auto Parts enters the new millennium.

HISTORY

In 1932, 31-year old Arthur Taubman purchased a small chain of home and auto supply stores with two locations in Roanoke, VA, and one in Lynchburg, VA. Advance Stores operated under his strict four-point philosophy, that a good company must:

Provide a value to its customers...for Advance, quality products at affordable prices.

Have a solid reputation.; Nothing replaces honesty and integrity.

Keep its goal in mind at all times.; the pleasing of every customer with service and items that make him or her want to return.

Treat the employees with love and respect - like a family.

During the 1970's the company modernized the name of its stores to Advance Auto. The newly-renamed chain of stores eliminated home appliances, electronics, sporting goods, clothing, toys, and tires from its retail merchandise selection and concentrated increasingly on its core automotive parts business.

The 1980's began a rapid, yet carefully planned, monumental expansion. As part of this expansion, Advance Auto began to sharpen its marketing focus on automotive hard parts for do-it-yourselfers. In order to meet the needs of these DIYers, the Company introduced its new PDQ, Parts Delivered Quickly system in 1982. This innovative service allowed customers access to more than 25,000 automotive components (in excess of 250,000 today), within a 24-hour waiting period. Today, more successful than ever, the PDQ program is a benchmark for the automotive after market.

In 1985, to emphasize the PDQ system and the Company's dedication to automotive hard parts, Advance Auto evolved into Advance Auto Parts.

By the close of 1993, Advance had more than doubled in size since it first began its expansion plan, with a year-end total of 352 stores and was recognized as the nation's fastest growing automotive after market retailer in the nation by a leading industry magazine. Since then, Advance has continued its rapid growth across the eastern United States, spread into 37 states, and more than quadrupled its total number of stores.

On August 17, 1998, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Advance Auto Parts announced that the Western Auto subsidiary of Sears, including both the retail and wholesale operations, would merge with Advance. Western Auto / Parts America, which traces its roots back to 1909, came to the new partnership with an impressive history in its own right. The merger of Parts America/Western Auto and Advance Auto Parts is a strong combination of experience, expertise, commitment, and tradition. The two companies share almost a century of experience in the automotive industry, and their combined power will drive the Advance Auto Parts family to even further success.

For more information about Advance Auto Parts, please visit our home page at www.advanceautoparts.com.