Shop Best Price Kragens Auto Parts
A Kragens auto parts is the brand under CSK Auto Incorporation. CSK is the largest retailer of automobile accessories and parts in US.
It has the head quarters at Phoenix, Arizona. CSK which is a subsidiary of O’Reilly Auto parts became a public company in March 1998. It has eventually grown in to an organized way by a series of acquisitions.
It maintains number one position in 22 out of 32 markets. This position is based on the number of stores through which it operates. Today, CSK operates more than thousand stores in 22 states in United States. Most of the stores are located in Western United States.
It has stores under four brand names. They are listed below.
Checker Auto Parts : Checker Auto Parts was founded in 1969. It has near 450 stores in the Rocky Mountain, Northern Plains, Southwestern states and Hawaii.
Schucks Auto Supply :
Schucks Auto Supply was founded in 1917. It operates with more than 200 stores in Alaska and Pacific Northwest.
Kragen Auto Parts :
Kragen Auto Parts was founded in 1947. It has operations mainly in California with 493 stores.
Murray’s Discount Auto Stores :
Murray’s Discount Auto Stores was founded in 1972. It operates with 112 stores in the Upper Midwest in US.
During the mid-2000s, under the brand name of Pay ‘n’ Save CSK operated four stores mainly around Phoenix, Arizona. Main motive behind these stores are to target a wider population. Through these stores CSK sold hardware, house wares and other household goods. In 2007 these stores ceased their operations.
CSK became a major player in automobile parts industry by sponsoring major baseball leagues, Xtreme Racing and Del Worsham’s funny car which he drove for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). NHRA designated CSK as their official auto parts store.
CSK categorized customers into Do It Yourself (DIY) and Do It For Me (DIFM) types. DIY customers are the foundation of auto parts business. They do the repairing of their vehicle by themselves. DIFM market consists of auto mechanics, governments and auto owners. For them the maintenance work should be under by the company itself.
CSK Auto has gained momentum by series of acquisitions. In 1997 they bought 81 stores in California and converted them into Kragens Auto Stores. This acquisition boomed company’s sales to the 1 billion mark. After that CSK opened another 130 stores.
In 1999, CSK added 86 stores under the brand name of Checker by acquiring other automobile parts giants Big Wheel and Rossi Auto Parts. In the same year they also bought other major auto parts stores in Oregon, Alaska and other states. These acquisitions made CSK one of the major automotive parts brand in Western US.
All Car Distributors is another company CSK purchased in 2000. At that time All Car Distributors are operating under 21 stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. All these stores are later converted into Checker Auto parts.
In 2005 CSK acquired 110 auto stores of Murray retail stores. This made Kragens Auto Parts the biggest one among CSK stores. In 2008, O’Reilly Automotive signed a deal to acquire CSK which was worth one billion dollars in 500 million dollars of debt.
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