Japan Auto Retailer’s First OC Store Delayed
By CHRIS CZIBORR
Japan’s Autobacs Seven Co., an automotive accessories retailer, has run into delays opening its first U.S. store in Stanton.
The company planned to open the store this month, but hit snags with the building’s water supply, said Jack Hara, Autobacs senior vice president.
The problems have forced Autobacs to delay opening the store until January, Hara said.
“Stanton is running more tests to see whether the building is getting enough water to run the sprinkler system,” Hara said.
Autobacs already is seeking a store manager and plans to hire assistant managers and others later this year, Hara said. The company sends all management hires to Japan for one to two weeks of training.
“We want all our U.S. managers to go to Japan to see our operations there,” he said.
Autobacs runs the largest auto accessory store chain in Japan, with more than 500 outlets there,mostly franchises. The company also has stores in Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. It also has two stores in Paris as part of a joint venture with French automaker Renault SA.
Last year the company recorded $1.8 billion in sales.
The company doesn’t plan to franchise in the U.S. right away, due to concerns about the legal and regulatory complexities of franchising here, Hara said.
The Stanton store is set to have a garage with pit services so customers can get their accessories installed onsite and watch from a waiting area with a 100-foot catwalk.
Products for sale are set to include fancy wheels, tires, car stereos and navigation systems, high-end motor oil, cup holders, child seats and interior accessories that follow different themes.
Irvine construction firm Snyder Langston LP is building the 43,500-square-foot Autobacs store in Stanton on the site of a former movie theater. The complex includes 4,300 square feet of office space. Snyder plans to complete the $4.5 million project by August.
