Trak Auto

Trak Auto formed part of the stable of discount operations owned by the Dart Group, the family holding company of Herbert Haft, and grew indirectly out of Dart Drug. Part of Dart Drug's strategy was to offer additional merchandise beyond the usual prescription drugs, health and beauty aids, and other merchandise that is typically found in a neighborhood drug store during the early 1970s. Robert Haft noticed that they were selling large volumes of auto supplies in his drug stores. His research discovered that 80 percent of aftermarket auto supplies were sold by independent, mom-and-pop operations, leaving room for a national discount retailer. After studying competitors like Sears and the Pep Boys, Trak Auto was launched in 1979.{{cite news |title=The Most Feared Family in Retailing |last=Saporito |first=Bill |magazine=Fortune |date=June 22, 1987 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1987/06/22/69171/index.htm}}

Trak Auto expanded rapidly, following the same aggressive strategy as its recently formed sister company, Crown Books: heavy discounts on high-volume products from mostly suburban standalone locations. In 1982, it partnered with Los Angeles-based Thrifty Corp, owners of the Thrifty Drug Stores chain, to open Trak Auto stores in Southern California. The venture lost heavily, which Haft blamed on insufficient volume— "We needed 50 stores in Chicago and 100 in Los Angeles to break even" he would tell Fortune magazine in a 1987 interview. After Thrifty agreed to be acquired by Pacific Lighting in 1986, it sold its stake in the West Coast Trak Auto and Crown Books operations back to Dart, paying $11.7 million to be relieved of $40 million in loan guarantees.{{cite news |title=Thrifty Sells Stakes in Crown Books, Trak Auto |last=Groves |first=Martha |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 10, 1986 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-10-fi-9883-story.html |access-date=2015-11-08 |archive-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116153839/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-10/business/fi-9883_1_discount-auto-parts-chain |url-status=live }} In an attempt to increase revenue, they advertised as having stores that stayed open later than most auto parts stores, with a few stores open 24 hours.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In 1993, at its peak, Trak Auto operated 333 stores in the Washington, D.C., Richmond, Chicago, and Los Angeles metro areas, but shifted strategy around this time to closing unprofitable stores and replacing them with large-format Super Trak and warehouse store Super Trak Warehouse locations; the first Super Trak opened in 1992.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/post200/data/bftc041.htm |newspaper=Washington Post |title=Post 200: Trak Auto Corp. |date=April 28, 1997 |author= |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305070932/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/post200/data/bftc041.htm |url-status=live }} In 1995, it acquired National Auto Stores, which operated stores in the Pittsburgh area, with plans to convert them to its superstore formats.{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1995/12/27/trak-auto-acquiring-pittsburgh-chain-it-will-buy-15-stores-and-open-10-more/ |title=Trak Auto acquiring Pittsburgh chain |date=December 27, 1995 |first=Kevin L. |last=McQuaid |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |access-date=2015-11-08 |archive-date=2015-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031546/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-12-27/business/1995361121_1_trak-auto-national-auto-auto-purchase |url-status=live }} But the early 1990s saw the company roiled by management struggles at the Dart Group, amidst disagreements between Herbert and Robert Haft, and Herbert's divorce with his wife Gloria. The acrimonious family split led Businessweek to speculate that the elder Haft was deliberately using accounting measures to undermine the companies, to weaken Gloria and Robert: Trak Auto reported 1994 income had declined by 98% over the year before.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/1994-05-15/another-hair-raiser-at-the-hafts |title=Another Hair Raiser at the Hafts |date=May 15, 1994 |magazine=BusinessWeek |first=Mark |last=Lewyn |access-date=2017-03-12 |archive-date=2015-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030719/http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/1994-05-15/another-hair-raiser-at-the-hafts |url-status=live }}

The Haft dispute was settled by the courts in 1995, and Richard Stone brought in to serve as the Dart Group's new CEO in 1997. But while the management situation had stabilized, the company was in a weak position. Sales across the category were flat, as fewer people were interested in do-it-yourself car repairs and improvements, and a strong economy allowed more people to pay for service.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-20-fi-51570-story.html |title=Overhauling Auto Parts Sales Retail |date=May 20, 1998 |first=James F. |last=Peltz |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=November 8, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031848/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/20/business/fi-51570 |url-status=live }} In October 1997, Trak Auto withdrew from the Southern California market, selling its 80 stores to CSK Auto, which were rebranded as Kragen Auto Parts.{{cite news |title=Trak Auto to Sell 80 California Stores |date=October 8, 1997 |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-08-fi-40384-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |author= |access-date=November 8, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117032634/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/08/business/fi-40384 |url-status=live }} The following year, the Dart Group itself was acquired by supermarket operator Richfood,{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-10-fi-37848-story.html |title=Richfood to Buy Dart in $207-Million Deal |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 10, 1998 |agency=Reuters |access-date=November 13, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024756/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/10/business/fi-37848 |url-status=live }} which was interested only in the Shoppers Food & Pharmacy operations. Trak Auto was quickly sold off in 1999 to HalArt LLC, which sought to operate it alongside Cleveland-based Forest City Auto Parts and other automotive chains.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/13/business/company-news-halart-to-acquire-trak-auto-for-53.2-million.html |title=Halart to Acquire Trak Auto for $53.2 Million |date=March 13, 1999 |newspaper=New York Times |author= |access-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912021901/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/13/business/company-news-halart-to-acquire-trak-auto-for-53.2-million.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/1999/03/08/daily40.html |title=Trak Auto to be acquired by HalArt |newspaper=Milwaukee Business Journal |date=March 12, 1999 |access-date=November 13, 2015 |archive-date=February 9, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209065855/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/1999/03/08/daily40.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1999/03/08/daily20.html |title=Another piece of Dart to be sold |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=March 12, 1999}}

This venture failed, however, and HalArt, which did business as Restoration Auto Parts,{{cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com/companies/dossier/0,1922,263409,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010523022923/http://www.thestandard.com/companies/dossier/0%2C1922%2C263409%2C00.html |archive-date=2001-05-23 |url-status=dead |title=Hoover's Company Capsule: Restoration Auto Parts |work=The Industry Standard |agency=Hoover's, Inc. |date=2001 }} and Trak Auto filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2001.{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/07/22/daily25.html |title=Advance Auto picks up Trak Auto locations |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=July 23, 2002 |first=Jeff |last=Clabaugh |access-date=November 13, 2015 |archive-date=February 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203062729/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/07/22/daily25.html |url-status=live }} By that time, Forest City had already gone bankrupt and been liquidated. The bankruptcy court ultimately ordered the company liquidated. The Midwestern locations were closed, and the leases for 55 stores in Northern Virginia, Washington D.C. and eastern Maryland were assumed by Advance Auto Parts in 2002, which subsequently converted them to its brand.{{cite press release |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=130560&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=503439&highlight= |title=Advance Auto Parts to Acquire Trak Auto Parts Stores in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Eastern Maryland Markets |publisher=Advance Auto Parts |date=July 23, 2002 |accessdate=November 8, 2015 |author= |archive-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714025214/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=130560&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=503439&highlight= |url-status=dead }}

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• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011211135447/http://www.trakauto.com/home/index.html |date=2001-12-11 |title=Archived official website}}

Category:Automotive part retailers of the United States

Category:Defunct retail companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in Prince George's County, Maryland

Category:Defunct companies based in Maryland

Category:1979 establishments in Maryland

Category:Retail companies established in 1979

Category:Retail companies disestablished in 2002

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001