Hi all,

Im sure that most of us here have heard of super autobacs. If not, it is a japanese automotive company that sell performance and maintenance parts for almost every japanese import car. These stores are spread all over Japan and there is even one in SoCal see here. My goal is to bring one over here to the east coast, preferably to the mid-atlantic and tristate area. My goal is to install it in a location that is a reasonable distance from NYC, Phila, and D.C.(not forgetting about you maryland or virginia people ). Right now Im doing research to see if there is enough of an interest base on the east coast to get one over here. Please give me your imput, ideas, rants, etc. Thank you very much!

Cory

 

Impressive ... is it a franchise ? What do you figure the start-up cost is ? Is it housed in a typical "big box" building ? New construction? Have you communicated with anyone in the company about it ?

 

I personally never heard of them. Is there a website or something so we can check out their products?

 

as long as you don't charge exorbitant prices you'll be okay. but the idea of having a store like that is to have everything in stock. i mean EVERYTHING or else it won't float.

 

... if i can get it for a lot cheaper online then there is no reason to drive out to you, but i'm all for one of those stores. Its like being in Toys R Us for people that are into modifying cars.

 

the link to the site is in the top post.

 

The thing with a place like that is when you go there things become more or less an impulse buy. You see it you want it . Also it's nice when you can actually touch something as opposed to seeing it online, an ex. would be seats. But if the price's are to high no ones gonna buy anything.

 

You're forgetting the part that it costs mega extra bucks to transport the items from the west coast to the east coast and the main reason it hasn't been done in the first place.

A reasonable distance from NYC, Phila, DC? You are talking about a lot of miles. It works in Socal because of the concentration of tuners/fanatics in that area and the available weather. How many people are going to drive 200 miles in the winter to visit that store?

 

Thank you for all of your replies. Sorry that im behind the eight ball on this thread but here we go.
As far as I (and other I have talked to) Autobacs is not a franchise. It is thought to be either privately owned or a publicly traded company. When I was in japan this summer, I dont remember the prices being that bad. I havent had a chance to visit the one in SoCal but i know that prices can be changed depending on the area. I believe that a warehouse would be built so the lacation can stock up and save some $ on the shipping of goods over to the east coast.

Defender- I have not talked to anyone in the company yet. I have talked to a few people in the industry and a few Small business organizations about it. Many are enthusiastic and some suggest that I can recieve start up grants. Looking further into it. But for right now I just doing research to see who wants what, what people think and location preferences. I have been on s2ki and nasioc (subaru) so far and am doing honda-tech and supra forums later this week. Can someone post this on one of the bigger NSX forums too ?

 

Your "goal" while well intentioned is not thought out and just a pipedream at this point. You haven't done enough research, building a warehouse (extra cost and overhead), stocking additional items (extra cost and overhead), and guess what? You still have to transport it from the west coast to the east coast, how would it get here?

Super Autobacs is a privately owned company with a few stores spread out Japan and one in the United States. It works in Cali because of the concentration, it doesn't work here because people are so spread out. The prices are cheaper in Japan because you don't have to factor in tariffs and shipping, isn't that obvious?