Auto parts chains are dented on sales miss

Shares of several auto parts retailers sputtered on Wednesday after one chain reported disappointing second-quarter sales gains.

And while that chain, O’Reilly Automotive, blamed poor weather in the period for its lackluster revenue, an executive at a rival chain said the entire sector has been under pressure from newly armed online rivals like Amazon.

“There is no doubt the internet is having an impact on sales and margins,” the executive told The Post, noting that the weather was not a significant factor for his chain.

O’Reilly shares went tumbling 19 percent, to a 2 ¹/2-year low of $178.77. Meanwhile, Advance Auto Parts fell 11 percent, to $105.21, and AutoZone was off 9.6 percent, to $516.83.

Online sales now represent approximately 20 percent of the do-it-yourself auto parts market and is growing 15 percent to 20 percent this year, the executive said.

Amazon represents about half of the online market, which this year will generate around $11 billion in sales, the executive said.

Overall, the do-it-yourself market is flat — making it harder on brick-and-mortar retailers to maintain market share and prices, the executive said. DIY customers are now increasingly looking online and comparing prices, the executive said.

O’Reilly generates around 60 percent of its sales from DIY customers — with the remainder coming from the more online-resistant commercial auto parts sector.

Since The Post reported exclusively on Jan. 22 that Amazon had signed contracts with large auto parts makers, including Robert Bosch, to compete against retailers, AutoZone’s shares have fallen by 33 percent and O’Reilly’s by 35 percent.

O’Reilly did not return calls.