Local auto parts store opening in new location this summer
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IDAHO FALLS – An auto parts store in Idaho Falls is getting a new home this summer.
Advance Auto Parts will move from 210 Cleveland Street in Idaho Falls to the old Pier 1 building at 2275 East 17th Street. Store Manager Eli Toler tells EastIdahoNews.com the store will open at its new location on Aug. 16, and there will be a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration.
Pier 1’s proximity to a high-traffic area was the main reason it was chosen.
“Our corporate office makes those kinds of decisions, but the location is one of the things that enticed the company to go after it. 17th Street is a very big spot in Idaho Falls and this was a great way to capitalize on the location and people in the area,” Toler says.
The new store’s layout will be a bit different from its current location, but the size is comparable. Toler says the sales floor at the new building is between two and two and a half times the size of the current building, making more room for store inventory.
“If we do it right, I think we’ll be able to maximize our inventory even better than we have now,” Toler says.
Advance Auto Parts offers a variety of products and services ranging from car batteries and motor oil to oil filters and tire/wheel repairs. One of the most popular purchases, Toler says, is air fresheners.
“People are always looking for different kinds of air fresheners, for some reason,” he says. “With the new store at the Pier 1 building … our selection of air fresheners will double.”
Advance Auto Parts got its start in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1932 as an independent auto parts dealer.
The Idaho Falls location opened sometime in the 1970s under the name Rush Auto Parts. It was a Carquest Auto Parts store for a while before Advance Auto Parts bought Carquest in 2015. The company has grown to include 5,000 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
RELATED | Pier 1 files for bankruptcy
Pier 1, a Texas-based home furnishings retailer, filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 and announced an initial closure of 450 stores. The Idaho Falls location shut down in March of last year. It reopened in May for another 16 weeks before shutting its doors for good, according to The Post Register.
Going forward, Toler says he’s looking forward to serving customers in a new location and providing more of what customers are looking for.
“We’re looking to gain new customers, have more of a DIY retail type of business. I’m expecting it to grow exponentially. I think it’s going to be a fantastic adventure,” Toler says.
Advance Auto Parts is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.