Auto Zone
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| Public | |
| Traded as | : AZO S&P 500 Component |
| Industry |
Retail Hoover's. Retrieved on December 4, 2011. |
| Founded | July 4, 1979 (as Auto Shack) Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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5,006 (In the United States, Mexico, Brazil.) |
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Key people
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Pitt Hyde, Founder William C. Rhodes, Chairman, President, and CEO William T. Giles, CFO |
| Products | Automotive parts and accessories |
| Revenue |
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| Total assets |
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| Total equity |
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Number of employees
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70,000 (August, 2012) |
| Website | www.autozone.com |
US$ 9.14753 billion (2013) 
US$ -1.687319 billion (2013) AutoZone is the second largest retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories in the United States behind Advance Auto Parts. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has over 5,324 stores across the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Originally a division of Memphis-based wholesale grocer Malone & Hyde, the company was known as Auto Shack. After the sale of the grocery operation to the Fleming Companies of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the name of the company was changed to AutoZone to reflect the new focus and to settle a lawsuit brought by Tandy Corporation for infringing on Tandy's "Radio Shack" trademark.
On July 4, 1979, the first store opened in Forrest City, Arkansas under the name of Auto Shack. Doc Crain was the store's first manager. Sales that first day totaled $300.00.
In 1981, Express Parts or VDP is implemented to get the customers hard to find parts by special ordering them through wholesalers. Total stores was 73 in 7 states.
In 1984, the company became the first auto parts retailer to create a quality control program for its parts. Total stores was 194 in 13 states.
In 1985, Doc Crain coined the term WITTDTJR, which stands for "What it takes to do the job right." Total store count is 263 in 14 states.
By 1986, expansion had made the company grow into a large store chain across the South and the Midwest. That year, Darren Reltherford, manager of Auto Shack's Memphis, Tennessee store, received the first Extra Miler award, which has since been given to AutoZoners who show their dedication to customer satisfaction by "going the extra mile" for customer service. The Duralast line of alternators and starters is released. The Loan-A-Tool program begins allowing customers the ability to borrow specific tools for jobs. The 4th Distribution Center in Greenville, South Carolina opens. Total of stores is 339 in 15 states.
In 1988, Auto Shack officially changed its name to AutoZone. The first AutoZone store was in Enid, Oklahoma. That year also, the company introduced WITT-JR, an electronic catalog used to look up parts and keep warranty information. Total of stores is now 459 in 16 states.
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Wikipedia