The new locations, which are mostly service and tire centers, will be concentrated in the Northeast, Southern California and the Chicago-metro area. Pep Boys is also testing a new Speed Shop concept, currently with one store in Los Angeles and another soon-to-open location in Lancaster, PA.

During its second quarter, Pep Boys' same-store sales dropped 2.3%. Comparable merchandise sales fell 4%, but same-store service revenue posted a 5.2% jump.

Merchandise sales are getting hurt by lower consumer spending during the recession and a continuing decrease in miles driven by Americans, said Mike O'Dell, chief executive officer, during Pep Boys' second-quarter conference call. But those numbers could turn around, he said, because "the decline in miles driven has moderated."