A HUGE name in car repairs and tire services is shutting down 145 stores after a string of financial disasters rocked the industry.
The wave of closures comes in the wake of multiple bankruptcies that have hit major players in the tire and wheel aftermarket sector.
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Monro Inc., based in Rochester, New Yorkconfirmed it would shut the doors on underperforming locations after a sharp drop in sales.
The company revealed the news following its 2025 fiscal year results, which ended on March 29.
Sales were down 4.9% for the year, and in the fourth quarter alone, Monro pulled in $295 million, a drop from $310 million during the same period in 2024.
The closures are part of a sweeping business improvement plan laid out by new CEO Peter Fitzsimmons, The Street reported.
“As I reflect on my first eight weeks, I’m pleased with our detailed assessment of the business,” Fitzsimmons said in a statement on May 28.
“We have identified four key areas of focus as opportunities for improvement.”
The four areas include shutting down stores, improving customer experience and sales tactics, acquiring new profitable customers, and boosting merchandise productivity.
“While our improvement plan will take time to implement, I believe that we will drive enhanced profitability and increase operating income and total shareholder returns in fiscal 2026,” Fitzsimmons said.
Monro said the 145 closures will start in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which began March 30, 2025.
The move is expected to cut roughly $45 million from its annual sales next year.
The company had already closed three stores in the final quarter of fiscal 2025.
That brought its footprint to 1,260 company-operated shops and 48 franchised ones across the US.
Monro’s decision comes as the wider auto repair and tire market continues to take a beating.
Several big names have filed for bankruptcy over the last year as inflation, high interest rates, and a post-Covid sales slump hit hard.
Auto Repairs Shakeup
Monro Inc:
- Closing 145 underperforming stores
- Sales down 4.9% in fiscal year ending March 29, 2025
- Q4 2025 sales: $295 million vs. $310 million in Q4 2024
- Closures begin in Q1 2026 (starting March 30, 2025)
- Expected annual sales reduction: $45 million in FY 2026
- Store count after Q4 2025: 1,260 company-operated, 48 franchised
Wheel Pros / Hoonigan:
- Filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 9, 2024
- $1.2 billion in debt to be eliminated
- $570 million in new capital planned through exit facility
- Distributes to over 30,000 retailers via 42 distribution centers
Accuride Corp:
- Filed Chapter 11 on October 9, 2024
- Filed with 15 affiliates in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware
- Cited Covid aftermath, inflation, supply chain issues, and global instability
American Tire Distributor:
- Filed Chapter 11 on October 22, 2024
- Burdened with over $1.9 billion in funded debt
- Expanded during 2019–2021 tire boom, then hit by falling demand and rising costs
- Faced shrinking sales channels and lower profitability
Wheel Pros, which runs under the Hoonigan brand, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 9, 2024.
The company aimed to wipe out $1.2 billion in debt and secure $570 million in new capital through an exit facility.
It blamed the economic downturn and misjudged expectations for a demand rebound in late 2023.
Another major blow came from Accuride Corporation, which filed for Chapter 11 on October 9, 2024.
The truck and trailer wheel giant cited pandemic hangovers, inflation, supply chain issues, and global tensions as causes for the collapse.
Just two weeks later, American Tire Distributors followed, filing for Chapter 11 on October 22.
ATD was burdened with $1.9 billion in debt after expanding aggressively during the tire boom between 2019 and 2021.
As demand dried up in 2022, the business was left reeling from lower profits, shrinking sales channels, and rising costs.
