AutoZone
retailer of aftermarket automotive parts
AutoZone, Inc., doing business as AutoZone (and formerly known as Auto Shack from 1979 to 1987), is an American retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories, the largest in the United States. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has 7,140 stores across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the US Virgin Islands. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Company History
Auto Shack
AutoZone was founded by J.R. "Pitt" Hyde III as the auto parts division of Malone & Hyde, a Memphis-based wholesale grocer founded by his family. After joining the board of directors at Wal-Mart in 1978, Hyde explored new ways to diversify his family's business. On July 4, 1979, the first store opened in Forrest City, Arkansas under the name of Auto Shack. Doc Crain was the store's first manager. Sales that first day totaled $300.00. Despite not knowing much about cars, Hyde's vision was to offer good customer service, and everyday low prices, in a clean, well designed, and brightly lit shop.
By 1980, the chain expanded to eight stores across five states, and then to 20 stores the year after.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4826087. 2 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 4 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1979, 1987, 1978 and 1980.
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This entry incorporates text from “AutoZone” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.