Do-it-Yourselfers Driving AutoZone Sales

AutoZone (Memphis, Tenn.), is one of a few retailers finding a silver lining in these dark days. The 4300-location chain reported sales rose 5.7 percent in 2008. Same-store sales are also showing healthy returns, increasing 6 percent last quarter.

“We're having new customers introduced to us,” ceo Bill Rhodes told Fortune Magazine.
“They may be people we're seeing who are tackling more complicated jobs, or people who've never gone into an AutoZone before.”

According to Standard & Poor's Equity Research, U.S. car sales in 2009 are projected to be 9.3 million, or 7 million fewer than the natural replacement cycle.