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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x No o

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).   Yes x No o

     As of March 19, 2003, the registrant had outstanding 35,765,812 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the only class of common equity of the registrant outstanding). 

     As of July 12, 2002, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the 15,661,972 shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (excluding, for this purpose, shares held by executive officers, directors or 10% stockholders) was $759,762,262, based on the last sales price of the Common Stock on July 12, 2002, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange.

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

Portions of the definitive proxy statement of the registrant to be filed within 120 days of December 28, 2002, pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 20, 2003, are incorporated by reference into Part III.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     Certain statements in this report are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “will,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “should” or similar expressions. We intend those forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are included in this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions.

     These forward-looking statements reflect current views about our plans, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available and on current assumptions.

     Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Listed below and discussed elsewhere in this report are some important risks, uncertainties and contingencies which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements made in this report. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to, the following:

     We assume no obligations to update publicly and forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should consider these risks and uncertainties, together with the other risks described from time to time in our other reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and you should not place undue reliance on those statements.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

     Unless the context otherwise requires, “Advance,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and similar terms refer to Advance Auto Parts, Inc., its predecessor, its subsidiaries and their respective operations.  Our fiscal year consists of 52 or 53 weeks ending on the Saturday closest to December 31 of each year.

Overview

     We primarily operate within the large and growing United States automotive aftermarket industry, which includes replacement parts (excluding tires), accessories, maintenance items, batteries and automotive fluids for cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, minivans and sport utility vehicles).

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     We are the second largest specialty retailer of automotive parts, accessories and maintenance items to “do-it-yourself,” or DIY, customers in the United States, based on store count and sales. We are the largest specialty retailer of automotive products in the majority of the states in which we currently operate, based on store count.  Our combined operations are conducted in two operating segments, retail and wholesale. The retail segment consists of our retail operations operating under the trade names “Advance Auto Parts”, “Advance Discount Auto Parts” and “Discount Auto Parts” in the United States and “Western Auto” primarily in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Our wholesale segment includes a wholesale distribution network. See note 22 of our financial statements for financial information reported for these segments.

     Our Internet address is www.advanceautoparts.com. We make available, and prior to December 15, 2002 have made available, free of charge through our Internet website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to the Securities Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Retail Segment

     At December 28, 2002, we had 2,435 stores, which included 2,000 stores operating under the “Advance Auto Parts” trade name in 37 states in the Northeastern, Southeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States.  In Florida, we operated 51 stores under the new “Advance Discount Auto Parts” trade name and 347 stores under the “Discount Auto Parts” trade name.  In addition, as of that date, we had 37 stores operating under the “Western Auto” trade name located primarily in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

     Our stores offer a broad selection of brand name and proprietary automotive products for domestic and imported cars and light trucks.  Our stores average approximately 7,500 square feet in size and carry between 16,000 and 21,000 stock keeping units, or SKUs.  We also offer approximately 105,000 additional SKUs that are available on a same day or overnight basis through our Parts Delivered Quickly, or PDQ^®, distribution systems.

     In addition to our DIY business, we serve “do-it-for-me”, or DIFM, customers via sales to commercial accounts.  Sales to DIFM customers represented approximately 15% of our retail sales in 2002 and consisted of sales to both walk-in commercial customers and sales delivered to our commercial customers’ places of business, including independent garages, service stations and auto dealers.  At December 28, 2002, we had 1,411 stores participating in our commercial delivery programs.

     As part of our participation in www.partsamerica.com, or pa.com, we also provide our customers online shopping and access to over 1 million SKUs.  Pa.com allows our customers to pick up merchandise at a conveniently located store or have their purchase shipped directly to their home or garage.

Wholesale Segment

     Our wholesale segment consists of a wholesale distribution network, which offers automotive parts, accessories and certain specialty merchandise and/or certain services to approximately 415 independently-owned dealer stores in 42 states. The dealer stores consist of associate, sales center and franchise dealers. Associate and franchise dealers have rights to the use of the “Western Auto” name and certain services provided by us. Sales centers only have the right to purchase certain products from us. We also provide services to the wholesale dealer network through various administrative and support functions, as negotiated by each independent location. Our wholesale distribution network is managed by a senior vice president (who is also responsible for the Western Auto retail stores and two regions of Advance stores in the retail segment), a vice president, a national sales manager, an operations manager and various field and support personnel. Our wholesale operations generated approximately 2.5% of our net sales in 2002.

Competitive Strengths

     We believe our competitive strengths include the following:

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     Leading Market Position.  We compete in both the DIY and DIFM categories of the automotive aftermarket industry.  Our primary competitors include national and regional retail automotive parts chains, wholesalers or jobber stores, independent operators, automobile dealers that supply parts, discount stores and mass merchandisers that carry automotive products. Although the number of competitors and level of competition vary by market, both the DIY and DIFM categories are highly fragmented and generally very competitive.  We enjoy significant advantages over most of our competitors. We believe we have strong brand recognition and customer traffic in our stores as a result of our number one position in the majority of our markets, based on store count, and our significant marketing activities. In addition, we have purchasing, distribution, marketing and advertising efficiencies due to our economies of scale. In particular, our acquisition of Discount Auto Parts in November 2001 has provided us with the leading market position in Florida, which is especially attractive due to that state’s strong DIY customer demographics.

     Industry Leading Selection of Quality Products.  As the number of automotive replacement parts has proliferated, we believe discount stores and mass merchandisers have had increasing difficulties in maintaining a broad inventory selection that DIY customers demand. We believe this has created a strong competitive advantage for specialty automotive parts retailers, like us, that have the distribution capacity, sophisticated information systems and knowledgeable sales staff needed to offer a broad inventory selection to DIY customers. We offer one of the largest selections of brand name and proprietary automotive parts, accessories and maintenance items in the automotive aftermarket industry. Our stores carry between 16,000 and 21,000 in-store stock keeping units, or SKUs. We also offer approximately 105,000 additional SKUs that are available on a same-day or overnight basis through our PDQ^® distribution systems, including harder-to-find replacement parts, which typically carry a higher gross margin.

     Superior Customer Service. We believe that our customers place significant value on our well-trained sales associates, who offer knowledgeable assistance in product selection and installation, and that this differentiates us from mass merchandisers. We invest substantial resources in the recruiting and training of our employees, who we refer to as team members, and provide formal classroom workshops, seminars and Automotive Service Excellence(TM) certification to build technical, managerial and customer service skills. In addition, we recently implemented a new performance management process that will allow us to align each team member’s goals with our strategic corporate goals.  This process will result in increased team member retention, which we believe leads to increased customer satisfaction and higher sales, and differentiates us from mass merchandisers.

     Experienced Management Team with Proven Track Record.  The 15 members of our senior management team have an average of 11 years experience with us and 14 years in the industry and have successfully grown our company to the second largest specialty retailer of automotive products in the United States. Our management team has accomplished this using a disciplined strategy of growing comparable store sales, opening new stores, increasing the penetration of our commercial delivery program and making selective acquisitions.

Growth Strategy

Our growth strategies consist of the following:

     Increase Our Comparable Store Sales. We have been an industry leader in comparable store sales growth over the last five years, averaging 6.8% annually. We plan to increase our comparable store sales in both the DIY and DIFM categories by, among other things, (1) implementing merchandising and marketing initiatives, (2) investing in store-level systems to enhance our ability to recommend complementary products in order to increase sales per customer, (3) refining our store selection and in-stock availability through customized assortments and other supply chain initiatives, (4) continuing to increase customer service through store staffing and retention initiatives and (5) increasing our commercial delivery sales primarily by focusing on key customers to grow average sales per program. In particular, we intend to continue to make the necessary investments in several applications that are critical to improving our customer service and in-stock availability. We have established strong inventory management systems at the store and distribution center level and have implemented Advance Parts Accessories Lookup, or APAL, our new fully-integrated point-of-sale system and electronic parts catalog, in approximately one-half of our stores.

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     Continue to Enhance Our Margins.  In addition to driving operating margin expansion via continued strong comparable store sales growth, we will continue to focus on increasing margins by: (1) improving our purchasing efficiencies with vendors; (2) utilizing our supply chain infrastructure and existing distribution network to optimize our inventory mix and maximize distribution capacity; (3) leveraging our overall scale to reduce other operating expenses as a percentage of sales and (4) continuing to implement our category management processes and custom mix initiatives.

     Increase Return on Invested Capital.  We believe we can continue to successfully increase our return on invested capital by generating strong comparable store sales growth and increasing our margins. We believe we can also increase our return on invested capital by leveraging our supply chain initiatives to increase inventory turns and selectively expanding our store base in existing markets. Based on our experience, such in-market openings provide higher returns on our invested capital by enabling us to leverage our distribution infrastructure, marketing expenditures and local management resources. We intend to add approximately 125 stores in existing markets in 2003 primarily through new store openings and selective acquisitions.

Industry

     The United States automotive aftermarket industry is generally grouped into two major categories DIY and DIFM. According to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, or AAIA, Aftermarket Factbook, from 1991 to 2001, the DIY category grew at a 5.0% compound annual growth rate from approximately $22 billion to $35 billion. This category represents sales to consumers who maintain and repair vehicles themselves. We believe this category is characterized by stable, more recession-resistant demand than most retailers because of the need-based characteristics of the DIY category. Additionally, in difficult economic times, we believe people tend to drive more and use air travel less.  We also believe difficult economic times result in people retaining their vehicles longer, which moves these vehicles in the range of years in age when more repairs are needed.   From 1991 to 2001, the DIFM category grew at a 6.4% compound annual growth rate, from approximately $36 billion to $68 billion according to the AAIA Aftermarket Factbook. This category represents sales to professional installers, such as independent garages, service stations and auto dealers. DIFM parts and services are typically offered to vehicle owners who are less price sensitive or who are less inclined to repair their own vehicles. 

     We believe the United States automotive aftermarket industry will continue to benefit from several favorable trends, including the:

     We believe these trends will continue to support strong comparable store sales growth in the industry.

History

     We were formed in 1929 and operated as a retailer of general merchandise until the 1980s. During the 1980s, we sharpened our focus to target sales of automotive parts and accessories to DIY customers. From the 1980s to the present, we have grown significantly as a result of strong comparable store sales growth, new store openings and strategic acquisitions, including our 1998 Western Auto Supply Company acquisition and our 2001 acquisition of  Discount Auto Parts, or Discount. Additionally, in 1996, we began to aggressively expand our sales to DIFM customers by implementing a commercial delivery program.

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     Discount Acquisition.   In November 2001, we acquired Discount which was the fifth largest specialty retailer of automotive products to both DIY and DIFM customers in the United States, based on store count. At November 28, 2001, Discount had 671 stores operating under the “Discount Auto Parts” trade name in six southern states, with 437 of them located in the state of Florida. During 2002, we completed the conversion of all 164 acquired Discount stores located outside the state of Florida and in the Florida panhandle.  We also completed the alignment of merchandise offerings in all Discount stores in the state of Florida to our product offerings, physically converted 51 of the Florida stores to the new “Advance Discount Auto Parts” format and converted approximately half of the Florida stores to our store systems.  During the integration process, we closed 109 of the acquired Discount locations in overlapping markets with our existing locations.

     Trak Auto Parts Acquisition.    During the third quarter of fiscal 2002, we entered into and closed on an arrangement to acquire certain assets of Trak Auto Corporation, or Trak, including the leases on 57 stores in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland.  At December 28, 2002, we had converted all 57 stores to the Advance Auto Parts store format and assumed the respective lease obligations.

Store Operations

     The retail store is the focal point of our operations. Our stores generally are located in free-standing buildings in high vehicle traffic areas with good visibility and easy access to major roadways. Our stores typically range in size from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet with an average of approximately 7,500 square feet, and offer between 16,000 and 21,000 SKUs. We also offer approximately 105,000 additional SKUs that are available on a same day or overnight basis through our PDQ® and Master PDQ® systems, including harder-to-find replacement parts, which typically carry a higher gross margin. Additionally, our local area warehouse concept utilizes existing space in selected stores to ensure the availability of certain PDQ® items on a same-day basis. At December 28, 2002, we operated 22 local area warehouses that carried a customized assortment of between 7,500 and 12,000 SKUs. In addition, our proprietary electronic parts catalog enables our sales team to identify an extensive number of applications for the SKUs that we carry, as well as parts that are required by our customers to complete their automotive repair projects. Replacement parts sold at our stores include radiators, brake pads, fan belts, radiator hoses, starters, alternators, batteries, shock absorbers, struts, CV shafts, spark plugs, transmission parts, clutches, electronic ignition components, suspension parts, engines and transmissions.

     Our retail stores are company operated and divided into five areas.  A senior vice president, who is supported by regional vice presidents, manages each area.  Division managers report to the regional vice presidents and have direct responsibility for store operations in a specific division, which typically consists of 10 to 15 stores. Depending on store size and sales volume, each store is staffed by 8 to 30 team members under the leadership of a store manager. Stores generally are open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. six days a week and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.

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     Total stores. Our 2,435 retail stores were located in the following states and territories at December 28, 2002:

     The following table sets forth information concerning increases in the number of our stores during the past five years:

Purchasing and Merchandising 

     Virtually all of our merchandise is selected and purchased for our stores by personnel at our corporate offices in Roanoke, Virginia. In addition, specialty merchandise for our wholesale segment and our Western Auto retail stores is purchased in our Kansas City, Missouri office. In 2002, we purchased merchandise from over 200 vendors, with no single vendor accounting for more than 8% of purchases. Our purchasing strategy involves negotiating multi-year agreements with certain vendors, which allows us to achieve more favorable terms and pricing.  Accordingly, in connection with the Discount acquisition and our resulting increased volume, we were able to renegotiate several long-term agreements that provided more favorable terms and pricing.

     Our purchasing team is currently led by a group of six senior professionals, who have an average of over 16

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years of automotive purchasing experience and over 20 years in retail. This team is skilled in sourcing products globally and maintaining high quality levels, while streamlining costs associated with the handling of merchandise through the supply chain. The purchasing team has developed strong vendor relationships in the industry and is involved currently in implementing a “best-in-class” category management process to improve comparable store sales, gross margin and inventory turns.

     Our merchandising strategy is to carry a broad selection of high quality brand name automotive parts and accessories such as Monroe, Bendix, Purolator and AC Delco, which generates DIY customer traffic and also appeals to commercial delivery customers. In addition to these branded products, we stock a wide selection of high quality proprietary products that appeal to value conscious customers. Sales of replacement parts account for a majority of our net sales and typically generate higher gross margins than maintenance items or general accessories. We are currently in the process of customizing our product mix based on a merchandising program designed to optimize inventory mix at each individual store based on that store’s historical and projected sales mix and regionally specific customer needs.

Advertising

     We have an extensive advertising program designed to communicate our merchandise offerings, product assortment, competitive prices, free services (battery installation and wiper replacements) and commitment to customer service. The program is focused on establishing us as the solution for a customer’s automotive needs. We utilize a media blend that reinforces our brand image, including print, promotional signage, television, radio and outdoor media, plus our proprietary in-store television network and internet site.

     Our advertising plan is based on a monthly program built around a promotional theme and a seasonally relevant product campaign. The plan is supported by print and in-store signage. Our television advertising is a combination of regional and national media focused to sports programming. Radio advertising, which is used as a supplementary medium, generally airs during peak drive times. We also sponsor sporting events, racing teams and other events at all levels in a grass-roots effort to positively impact individual communities, including Hispanic and other ethnic communities, to create awareness and drive traffic for our stores.

     In February 2003, we launched our new advertising campaign, “We’re ready in Advance.”  We believe this advertising campaign differentiates Advance in the customer’s mind by positioning us as both a source for brand name auto parts at low prices and as a resource for expert advice and useful tips to help customers keep their vehicles running smoothly. The campaign includes creative and compelling television and radio commercials designed to drive sales and build an enduring, positive image of Advance as a special place to shop.

Management Information Systems

     We have developed a flexible technology infrastructure that supports our growth strategy. Our information technology infrastructure is comprised of software and hardware designed to integrate store, distribution and vendor services into a seamless network. All stores, corporate and regional offices, and distribution centers are linked via a communications network, which is based on frame relay technology. Our stores in Puerto Rico are linked to the communications network via satellite. Electronic documents transferred between us and our vendors expedite the ordering, receiving and merchandise payment processes. We expect to complete the implementation of our technology platform into the Discount Auto Parts stores and the Lakeland distribution center, including the administrative offices, in 2003.

Enterprise Information System

     Our management team has online access to certain financial information via Hyperion Analyzer, a web-enabled front-end tool, which retrieves information from our Hyperion Essbase database.   This system, which is tightly integrated to our “best in class” PeopleSoft Financial and Human Resource systems, helps ensure that accurate, consistent, and timely financial information is available to all levels of management, including our sales, margin, payroll and other key metrics. This system assists the management team in planning and responding to our business

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and industry trends quickly and cost-effectively.  This system contains analysis tools that provide our management the ability to rank and rate their operations and identify “best practices” opportunities for business improvement.

Store Based Information Systems

     Our store based information systems, which are designed to improve the efficiency of our operations and enhance customer service, are comprised of point-of-sale, or POS, electronic parts catalog, or EPC, store-level inventory management, and store intranet, or STORENET, systems. Additionally, we support store level operations with our management planning and training and customer contact systems.  These systems are integrated tightly and together provide real time, comprehensive information to store and merchandising personnel, resulting in improved customer service levels, team member utilization and in-stock availability. We have completely implemented our store based information systems into all of the Discount stores located outside of the Florida market (including the Florida panhandle) and plan to complete the implementation of the Discount stores located in the Florida market in 2003.

     Point-of-Sale. Our POS system is used to formulate pricing, marketing and merchandising strategies and to replenish inventory accurately and rapidly. We have fully implemented our new POS system, or APAL, in one half of our stores and are in the process of implementing APAL in the remaining half of our stores. APAL is designed to improve customer checkout time and decrease the time required to train newly-hired team members. In addition, APAL will provide additional customer purchase history, which may be used for customer demographic analysis.

     Electronic Parts Catalog. Our EPC system is a software system that enables our store team members to identify over 40 million application uses for automotive parts and accessories. The EPC system enables store team members to assist our customers in their parts selection and ordering based on year, make, model and engine type of their vehicle. If a hard-to-find part or accessory is not available at one of our stores, the EPC system can determine whether the part is carried and in-stock through our PDQ® Express system. The EPC system also enables our store team members to identify additional parts that are required by our customers to complete their automotive repair projects. This generally leads to an increase in average sales per transaction. The integration of this system with our POS system improves customer service by reducing time spent at the cash register and fully automating the sales process between the parts counter and our POS register. This system enables store team members to order parts and accessories electronically through our PDQ® Express system, with immediate confirmation of price, availability and estimated delivery time. Additionally, information about a customer’s automobile can be entered into a permanent customer database that can be accessed immediately whenever the customer visits or telephones one of our stores.

     In conjunction with the rollout of APAL, we are also enhancing our EPC system in our stores. The enhanced EPC system, which is fully integrated with APAL, will provide the capability of cataloging non-application specific parts and additional product information, such as technical service bulletins, installation instructions, images of parts, and related diagrams of automotive systems.  The enhanced EPC system contains enhanced search engines and more user-friendly navigation tools that enhance our store team members’ ability to look-up any needed parts as well as additional products the customer needs to complete their automotive repair project.  We believe these components will enhance our customers’ shopping experience with us and help them accurately complete the repair job the first time, saving them time and money.

     To ensure ongoing improvement of EPC information in all stores, we have developed a centrally based EPC data management system that enables us to reduce the time needed to exchange data with our vendors and ultimately catalogue and deliver updated, accurate product information to our stores. Additionally, we are enhancing the EPC system to provide additional methods of parts lookup while reducing keystrokes and allowing our store team members to more efficiently serve our customers.

     Store Level Inventory Management System. Our store-level inventory management system provides real-time inventory tracking at the store level. With the store-level system, store team members can check the quantity of on-hand inventory for any SKU, adjust stock levels for select items for store specific events, automatically process returns and defective merchandise, designate SKU’s for cycle counts and track merchandise transfers. In conjunction with the roll-out of APAL, we are also implementing radio frequency hand held devices in all of our stores, which will help ensure the accuracy of inventory.

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     Store Intranet. Installed in June of 1998, our STORENET system delivers product information, electronic manuals, forms, store operating results, in-store training opportunities and internal communications to all store team members. In addition STORENET provides online tools that enhance the productivity of our team members as follows: 

     Management Planning and Training.  MPT is our proprietary system designed to streamline our store labor management and training processes.  MPT gives our store managers the tools to plan for peak customer traffic to ensure we have knowledgeable and friendly sales people in our stores and well-stocked shelves to meet our customers’ needs.  After a thorough review of all our store processes, we believe MPT improves our results of operations through industry-leading labor utilization on all store labor events, including sales, training and unloading of weekly product deliveries.

     Customer Contact Center. In 2001, we installed new call routing software and customer service software, established a customer contact center in Roanoke, Virginia and consolidated all support centers. Implementation of the customer contact center has resulted in a substantial improvement in the average speed in which in a call is answered, a reduction in calls to voice mail and a reduction in the number of outbound calls required to respond to voice mail.  We believe these improvements have allowed us to better support each of our stores, therefore, increasing customer service.

Logistics and Purchasing Information Systems

     Distribution Center Management System. Our distribution management system, or DCMS, provides real-time inventory tracking through the processes of receiving, picking, shipping and replenishing at our distribution centers. The DCMS, integrated with material handling equipment, significantly reduces warehouse and distribution costs, while improving efficiency. Seven of our eight distribution facilities currently use this technology, and we anticipate that the eighth distribution facility, which we acquired as part of the Discount acquisition, will be converted to this technology in 2003. Additionally, fourteen of our nineteen PDQ® Express facilities currently use this technology, and we expect the remaining five PDQ® Express facilities will be converted to this technology in 2003.

     Replenishment Systems. Our E3 Replenishment System monitors the distribution center and PDQ® Express warehouse inventory levels and orders additional product when appropriate. In addition, the system tracks sales trends by SKU, allowing us to adjust future orders to support seasonal and demographic shifts in demand. During 2001, we completed the implementation of a store-level replenishment version of E3 for our Advance Auto Parts stores, and as Discount stores are converted to our new POS system, E3 replenishment is being implemented in those stores.

     Transportation Management System. Our transportation management system is an effective planning tool that allows for the efficient management of incoming shipments.  Benefits from this system include reduced vendor to distribution center freight costs, visibility of purchase orders and shipments for the entire supply chain, the reduction in distribution center inventory, or safety stock, due to consistent transit times and decreased third party freight and

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billing service costs.

Team Members

     At March 19, 2003, we employed approximately 20,329 full-time team members and 10,135 part-time team members. Approximately 83.8% of our workforce is employed in store-level operations, 10.6% is employed in distribution and 5.6% is employed in our corporate offices in Roanoke, Virginia and Kansas City, Missouri. We have never experienced any labor disruption and are not party to any collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our labor relations are good.

     We allocate substantial resources to the recruiting, training and retaining of team members. We have recently implemented a performance management process to align each team member’s goals with our corporate strategic goals.  We believe this program will provide us with a well-trained, productive workforce that is committed to high levels of customer service and assures a qualified team to support future growth.

Trade Names, Service Marks and Trademarks

     We own and have registrations for the trade names “Advance Auto Parts,” “Western Auto” and “Parts America” and the trademark “PDQ®” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for use in connection with the automotive parts retailing business. In addition, we own and have registered a number of trademarks with respect to our proprietary products, and we also acquired from Discount various registered trademarks, service marks and copyrights. We believe that these trade names, service marks and trademarks are important to our merchandising strategy. We do not know of any infringing uses that would materially affect the use of these marks and actively defend and enforce them.

Competition

     Our primary competitors are both national and regional retail chains of automotive parts stores, including AutoZone, Inc., O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. and The Pep Boys–Manny, Moe & Jack, wholesalers or jobber stores, including those associated with national parts distributors or associations, such as NAPA, independent operators, automobile dealers that supply parts, discount stores and mass merchandisers that carry automotive products, including Wal-Mart, Target and K-Mart. We believe that chains of automotive parts stores, like us, with multiple locations in one or more markets, have competitive advantages in customer service, marketing, inventory selection, purchasing and distribution as compared to independent retailers and jobbers that are not part of a chain or associated with other retailers or jobbers. The principal competitive factors that affect our business include price, store location, customer service and product offerings, quality and availability.

Environmental Matters

     We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and governmental regulations relating to the operation of our business, including those governing recycling of batteries and used lubricants, and regarding ownership and operation of real property. We handle hazardous materials as part of our operations, and our customers may also use hazardous materials on our properties or bring hazardous materials or used oil onto our properties. We currently provide collection and recycling programs for used automotive batteries and used lubricants at all of our stores as a service to our customers under agreements with third party vendors. Pursuant to these agreements, used batteries and lubricants are collected by our team members, deposited into vendor supplied containers or pallets and stored by us until collected by the third party vendors for recycling or proper disposal. Persons who arrange for the disposal, treatment or other handling of hazardous or toxic substances may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation at any affected disposal, treatment or other site affected by such substances.

     We own and lease real property. Under various environmental laws and regulations, a current or previous owner

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or operator of real property may be liable for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. These laws often impose joint and several liability and may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous or toxic substances. Other environmental laws and common law principles also could be used to impose liability for releases of hazardous materials into the environment or work place, and third parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real properties for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances. From time to time, we receive notices from the EPA and state environmental authorities indicating that there may be contamination on properties we own or operate or on adjacent properties for which we may be responsible.  Compliance with these laws and regulations has not had a material impact on our operations to date. We believe that we are currently in material compliance with these laws and regulations.

Item 2. Properties.

     Distribution Centers and Warehouses.  We operate eight distribution centers.  Seven of these eight distribution centers are equipped with our distribution management system, which includes technologically advanced material handling equipment, including carousels, “pick-to-light” systems, radio frequency technology and automated sorting systems.  The eighth distribution center, which we acquired in the Discount acquisition, has an existing system similar to ours, but will be converted to our system in fiscal 2003.  Through the continued implementation of our supply chain initiatives, we expect to further increase the efficient utilization of our distribution capacity, which currently provides us the capacity to service over 3,400 stores and our wholesale segment from these distribution centers.

     We currently offer over 30,000 SKUs to substantially all of our retail stores via our nineteen PDQ® Express warehouses. Stores have visibility to inventory in their respective facilities and can place orders to these facilities through an online ordering system.  Ordered parts are delivered to substantially all stores on a same day or next day basis through our dedicated PDQ® trucking fleet. In addition, we operate a PDQ® warehouse that stocks approximately 80,000 SKUs of harder to find automotive parts and accessories. This facility is known as the “Master PDQ®” warehouse and utilizes existing PDQ® distribution infrastructure to provide next day service to substantially all of our stores. At December 28, 2002, we operated 22 local area warehouse facilities which utilize excess store space to provide certain markets with a customized mix of approximately 7,500 to 12,000 SKUs.

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     The following table sets forth certain information relating to our distribution and other principal facilities: