Competition
The sale of automotive parts, accessories and maintenance items is highly competitive in many areas, including name recognition, product availability, customer
service, store location and price. AutoZone competes in the aftermarket auto parts industry, which includes both the retail DIY and commercial
do-it-for-me (DIFM) auto parts and products markets.
Our competitors include national, regional and local auto parts chains, independently owned parts stores, online automotive parts stores or marketplaces,
wholesale distributors, jobbers, repair shops, car washes and auto dealers, in addition to discount and mass merchandise stores, hardware stores, supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores and other retailers that sell aftermarket
vehicle parts and supplies, chemicals, accessories, tools and maintenance parts. AutoZone competes on the basis of customer service, including the knowledge and expertise of our AutoZoners; merchandise quality, selection and availability; product
warranty; store layouts, location and convenience; price; and the strength of our AutoZone brand name, trademarks and service marks.
Trademarks and Patents
We have registered several service marks and trademarks in the United States Patent and Trademark Office as well as in
certain other countries, including our service marks: AutoZone, AutoZone Rewards, Get in the Zone, Parts Are Just Part of What We Do, ProVantage, The Best Parts in Auto Parts,
Zone and trademarks: ALLDATA Collision, ALLDATA Manage, ALLDATA Mobile, ALLDATA Repair, ALLDATA Tech-Assist, AutoZone, AutoZone & Design,
Duralast, Duralast Aero Blade, Duralast Flex Blade, Duralast Gold, Duralast Gold Cmax, Duralast GT, Duralast Platinum, Duralast ProPower, Duralast
ProPower Plus, Duralast ProPower Ultra, Duralast ProPower AGM, Duralast Max, Econocraft, Loan-A-Tool,
ProElite, ProElite & Design, SureBilt, TruGrade, Valucraft, V & Design, and Z-net. We believe that these
service marks and trademarks are important components of our marketing and merchandising strategies.
Employees
As of August 31, 2019, we employed approximately 96,000 persons, approximately 58 percent of whom were employed full-time. About 90 percent of
our AutoZoners were employed in stores or in direct field supervision, approximately 5 percent in distribution centers and approximately 5 percent in store support and other functions. Included in the above numbers are approximately 10,000
persons employed in our Mexico and Brazil operations.
We have never experienced any material labor disruption and believe that relations with our
AutoZoners are good.
Seasonality
Our business is somewhat seasonal in nature, with the highest sales typically occurring in the spring and summer months of February through September, in which
average weekly per-store sales historically have been about 10% to 20% higher than in the slower months of December and January. During short periods of time, a stores sales can be affected by weather
conditions. Extremely hot or extremely cold weather may enhance sales by causing parts to fail; thereby increasing sales of seasonal products. Mild or rainy weather tends to soften sales, as parts failure rates are lower in mild weather and elective
maintenance is deferred during periods of rainy weather. Over the longer term, the effects of weather balance out, as we have locations throughout the Americas.
AutoZone Websites
AutoZones primary website is at www.autozone.com. We make available, free of charge, at www.autozone.com, by clicking Investor Relations
located at the bottom of the page, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, registration statements and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, as soon as reasonably feasible after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Our website and the information contained therein or linked thereto are not
intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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