Item 1. . BUSINESS.

Incorporated in the State of Georgia in 1928, Genuine Parts Company is a global service organization engaged in the distribution of automotive and industrial replacement parts. We serve our customers from more than 10,700 locations, primarily in North America, Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand ("Australasia"). We offer outstanding service, an industry-leading assortment of replacement parts, extensive supply chain and distribution capabilities, and enhanced technology solutions.

As used in this report, "we," "us," "our," "GPC," and the “company” refers to GPC and its subsidiaries, except as otherwise indicated by the context; and the terms “automotive parts” and “industrial parts” refer to replacement parts in each respective category.

OUR PURPOSE & STRATEGY

We keep the world moving — this is our purpose and the foundation for how we do business. We are one global team unified by our mission to be an employer of choice, supplier of choice, valued customer, responsible corporate citizen and investment of choice for our shareholders. We strive to be a respected community member that gives back to the communities in which we operate. In order to execute this mission, we align our resources with strategic areas of focus for our operations. We focus on our market-leading automotive and industrial businesses to deliver profitable growth, operational efficiencies and strong cash flow.

We are organized into two business segments: our Automotive Parts Group (“Automotive”) and our Industrial Parts Group (“Industrial”). In the automotive landscape, we see a positive long-term growth outlook across the markets we serve supported by an increase in miles driven, a growing and aging car parc, increasing vehicle complexity, and a growing opportunity with electric vehicles. In the industrial landscape, we see disruptions in the global supply chain creating opportunities with nearshoring, a strong outlook for automation and robotics solutions, the need for industrial expertise due to an aging technical workforce and diversified end market opportunities. Our business segments create a competitive differentiation in two distinct and growing markets with compelling shareholder value.

We believe our primary competitive advantages are our: (1) global presence and brand strength; (2) industry-leading positions in two distinct, but complementary markets; (3) extensive supply chain and distribution capabilities; and (4) enhanced technology solutions.

Our strategic financial objectives complement our mission and drive value for all our stakeholders. These financial objectives include: (1) revenue growth in excess of market growth; (2) continuously improving operating margins; (3) maintaining a strong balance sheet and cash flows; and (4) effective capital allocation. Our strategy is designed to position us for long-term profitable growth and enhance shareholder value.

OUR SEGMENTS

AUTOMOTIVE

Our Automotive segment, which represents approximately 62% of total GPC net sales, is the largest global automotive network of parts and care. We distribute automotive parts, accessories and solutions in North America, Europe and Australasia. Our Automotive businesses offer complete inventory, cataloging, marketing, training and other programs to the aftermarket in each of these regions, distinguishing our business from the competition.

Our global Automotive network sells to customers in both commercial do-it-for-me (“DIFM”) and retail do-it-yourself (“DIY”) segments of the market and covers substantially all global motor vehicle models. Our DIFM customers include local, regional and national repair centers, auto dealers, service stations and both private and public sector accounts. Our DIY customers are primarily served over-the-counter at our global stores or digitally. Our DIFM and DIY customers represent approximately 80% and 20% of total Automotive sales, respectively, and channel mix varies by geography.

Our Automotive network consists of over one million customer locations, including installers, fleet, government, and major accounts. We have diversity amongst our customer base with no specific customer type representing an outsized concentration of our customer business. Our Automotive segment operates in a large and fragmented market with a total addressable market greater than $200 billion. The majority of the automotive aftermarket is comprised of small, local competitors which creates an opportunity to actively pursue strategic acquisitions and bolt-on store groups where we can bring scale, advanced technology, and supply chain efficiency to differentiate ourselves from competitors.

Our Automotive distribution network provides access to hundreds of thousands of replacement parts (other than body parts and tires) and accessory items for substantially all motor vehicle makes and models, including hybrid and electric vehicles, trucks, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and for small engines, farm equipment, marine equipment and heavy duty equipment. We supply certain equipment and parts used by repair shops, service stations, fleet operators, automobile and truck dealers, leasing companies, bus and truck lines, mass merchandisers, farms, and individuals who perform their own maintenance and parts installation.

Availability is a critical success factor in our business and our teams utilize data and analytics to have the right parts, in the right place and at the right time. The majority of products distributed in North America are under the NAPA name, a mark licensed to us by NAPA, which is important to the sales and marketing of these products. In Australasia and Europe, products are distributed under several brand names, including many of the national brands, as well as the NAPA name. Our Automotive operations have access to approximately 800,000 different parts and related supply items.These items are purchased from hundreds of different suppliers, with approximately 46% of 2023 automotive parts inventories purchased from 10 major suppliers.

Regional Operations & Products. In North America, our U.S. operations are headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and our Canadian operations are headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. We distribute the majority of products in the U.S. and Canada under the NAPA name, which is important to our sales and marketing efforts. We go to market in North America primarily through company-owned and independent auto part stores, heavy vehicle stores, and specialty paint and equipment stores. Our North American auto parts stores sell a comprehensive range of automotive parts, including brakes, batteries, filters, engine components, tools, accessories, and fluids. Some locations offer custom services such as paint mixing, hydraulic hose assembly, battery testing, and key cutting. Our heavy vehicle stores sell parts, accessories, tools and equipment for servicing heavy duty and diesel vehicles, and we operate service and mechanical repair centers for heavy vehicles. We serve the heavy vehicle market under the banners Traction, TruckPro, TW, and Cadel. In Canada, our specialty stores operate paint and body care equipment and supply under the banner NAPA/CMAX and high-quality replacement parts and lubricants for imported vehicles under the banners Altrom and Auto‑Camping. Our online service in North America, NAPA online, provides a platform for customers to browse, purchase, and have automotive products delivered to their homes or businesses. Separately, we provide a NAPA Auto Care program across the U.S. and Canada for independent repair shop centers to increase visibility and receive part discounts and other benefits. We offer technical expertise by training and employing knowledgeable staff who can provide technical assistance, product recommendations, and guidance on automotive repairs and maintenance, and we organize DIY workshops and training sessions to educate customers on automotive repair and maintenance tasks.

We believe that the quality and the range of services provided to our North American automotive parts customers constitute a significant advantage for our automotive parts distribution system. Our goal is to properly stock our locations with the right parts to ensure we provide quick and quality service to our customers whose orders are often filled and shipped the same day they are received. Our services also include up to date parts cataloging (including the use of electronic NAPA Auto Parts catalogs) and stock adjustments through a continuous parts classification system which, as initiated by us, allows independently-owned stores to return certain merchandise on a scheduled basis. We offer our NAPA Auto Parts stores various management aids, marketing aids and service on topics such as inventory control, cost analysis, accounting procedures, group insurance and retirement benefit plans, as well as marketing conferences and seminars, sales and advertising manuals and training programs. We have developed and refined an inventory classification system to determine the most advantageous distribution center and auto parts store inventory levels for automotive parts stocking based on automotive registrations, usage rates, production statistics, technological advances, including predictive analytics, and other similar factors. This system, which undergoes continuous analytical review, is an integral part of our inventory control procedures and comprises an important feature of the inventory management services that we make available to our NAPA Auto Parts stores. Losses from inventory obsolescence have not been significant historically and we attribute this to the successful operation of our classification system, which includes product return privileges with most of our suppliers.

In Europe, we operate Alliance Automotive Group (“AAG”), headquartered in London, England. Europe is predominantly a DIFM market, with very few over-the-counter sales. We serve thousands of vehicle repairers, body shops and auto-centers from over 2,000 distributor outlets across Europe, supported by a logistics infrastructure of national and regional distribution centers. Our distributor outlets include company-owned and independent auto part stores and outlets, heavy vehicle outlets, and online and specialty outlets. Our European banners include Groupauto, Precisium and Pièces Auto in France; Coler, Busch, Hennig and Knoll in Germany; Groupauto, UAN, FPS Distribution, APEC Braking, BTN Turbo, Platinum International, Alliance Automotive U.K. Subsidiaries, and J&S Automotive Distributors in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland; PartsPoint in Belgium and the Netherlands; Lausan, Soulima and Gaudi in Spain and Portugal; and GroupAuto in Poland. In France, we also provide parts and services for heavy duty and diesel vehicles under the Todd banner and we operate Back2Car, which distributes recycled car

parts. In the Netherlands and Belgium, we offer programs for repair shops that want to join our installer network to increase their visibility and brand awareness while remaining independent. Separately in Europe, we operate WinParts, an online platform for customers to browse, purchase, and have automotive products delivered to their homes or businesses.

In Australia and New Zealand, we operate GPC Asia Pacific – the region’s largest automotive aftermarket parts supplier. We resell and distribute automotive replacement parts, accessories and related tools and equipment through a network of company-owned retail stores and advanced distribution centers. GPC Asia Pacific operates three main lines of business: Automotive Australia, Automotive New Zealand and Two Wheel Division. Automotive Australia and Automotive New Zealand operate our auto parts stores in Australia and New Zealand under two banners: (i) Repco, which operates a nationwide dual-format store network across both countries, providing parts, equipment, tools, batteries, technology, and oil to both trade and retail customers, and (ii) NAPA Auto Parts, which offers automotive electrical and mechanical parts to trade, fleet, industrial, commercial and mining specialist customers. Both Repco and NAPA compliment their network with the market's leading digital capability, providing our customers with a seamless omni-channel transactional capability. Our Two Wheel Division wholesales and retails motorcycle parts, apparel and accessories, with the market's leading range of the world’s most respected motorcycle brands, many of which are supplied under exclusive distribution agreements. Two Wheel Division operates two wholesale banners (McLeod Accessories and John Titman Racing), and also operates Australia's largest and fastest growing motorcycle accessories and apparel retailer (AMX Super Stores). GPC Asia Pacific also operates a number of direct-to-consumer digital businesses, including Sparesbox, STEDI and 4WD247.

Distribution Network. Our independently-owned and company-owned stores located in every region are sourced by our distribution networks. Both types of automotive stores sell to a wide variety of customers in the automotive aftermarket. We strategically locate our stores close to installers, which are our primary customers, and we deliver products to them routinely throughout each business day by truck. Traditional over-the-counter retail sales make up a smaller part of our overall business and vary by geography.

Independently-owned stores purchase inventory from company-operated distribution centers. These independently-owned stores are responsible for operating and managing their businesses, including operating costs and capital expenditures. We generally do not receive a royalty or franchise fee from independently-owned stores. Independently-owned stores, which represent approximately 68% of our total automotive stores, provide a competitive advantage by allowing for local market knowledge and insights, enabling quicker adaptation to local customer preferences.

The mix of independently-owned versus company-owned stores in a given market varies based on several factors including our overall market strategy, the ability to access desirable local retail space, the complexity, profitability and expected ultimate size of the market and our ability to provide operational support within a geographic region. In our Australasian operations, we go to market with a company-owned store model.

During 2023, we expanded our network with the addition of 173 net new stores during the year. The following table details the breakdown of our Automotive distribution network including our distribution centers, company-owned and independently-owned automotive stores by geographic region as of December 31, 2023.

						North America						Europe						Australasia						Total
Distribution Centers						77						81						14						172
Company-Owned Stores						1,797						798						551						3,146
Independently-Owned Stores						4,961						1,698						—						6,659
Total Automotive Locations						6,835						2,577						565						9,977

Installer Networks*.* We provide programs for repair centers to join regional networks to leverage our branding and supply network to increase their visibility and awareness while remaining independent. The largest of these is our independent NAPA Auto Care center network in the U.S. and Canada, which includes over 18,000 locations nationwide.

NAPA*.* We are the sole member of the National Automotive Parts Association, LLC a voluntary association formed in 1925 to promote the distribution of automotive parts for its members. NAPA, which neither buys nor sells automotive parts, functions as a trade association that develops marketing concepts and programs for its sole member.

Among the automotive products purchased by us from various manufacturers for distribution are certain lines designated, cataloged, advertised and promoted as “NAPA” lines. Generally, we are not required to purchase any specific quantity of parts and we may purchase competitive lines from the same as well as other supply sources.

We use the federally registered trademark NAPA® as part of the trade name of many of our distribution centers and parts stores in the U.S., Canada and Australia. We fund NAPA’s advertising program, which is designed to increase public recognition of the NAPA name and to promote NAPA product lines.

We are a party to, together with the former members of NAPA, a consent decree entered by the Federal District Court in Detroit, Michigan, on May 4, 1954. The consent decree enjoins certain practices under the federal antitrust laws, including the use of exclusive agreements with manufacturers of automotive parts, allocation or division of territories among us and former NAPA members, fixing of prices or terms of sale for such parts among such members, and agreements to adhere to any uniform policy in selecting parts customers or determining the number and location of, or arrangements with, auto parts customers.

Competition. The automotive aftermarket is highly competitive. We compete with other national, regional and local automotive parts chains, automobile manufacturers (some of which sell replacement parts for vehicles built by other manufacturers as well as those that they build themselves), automobile dealers, and warehouse clubs. In addition, we compete with the distributing outlets of parts manufacturers, mass merchandisers (including national retail chains) and other parts distributors and retailers, including online retailers. We compete primarily on availability of product offering, service, brand recognition and price. Our automotive competitors include AutoZone, Inc., O-Reilly Auto Parts, Inc., Advance Auto Parts, Inc., LKQ Corporation and Bapcor, among many others. Further information regarding competition in the industry is set forth in “Item 1A. Risk Factors — We face substantial competition in the industries in which we do business.”

INDUSTRIAL

Our Industrial segment, which represents approximately 38% of total GPC net sales, operates in both North America and Australasia through our wholly-owned subsidiaries Motion Industries, Inc. (“Motion”), headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and Motion Asia Pacific, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Our Industrial business offers replacement parts and solutions to maintenance, repair and operation (“MRO”) customers and original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) customers. Our Industrial segment operates in a large and fragmented market with a total addressable market of greater than $150 billion. In 2023, our Industrial segment served more than 200,000 MRO and OEM customers in all types of industries with more than 900,000 customer locations. Our Industrial segment services all manufacturing and processing industries with access to a database of over 19 million parts.

The nature of Motion's business demands the maintenance of adequate inventories and the ability to promptly meet critical delivery requirements. Virtually all of the products distributed are installed by the customer or used in plant and facility maintenance activities. Most orders are filled immediately from existing stock and deliveries are normally made within 24 hours of order receipt. The majority of all sales are on open account. Motion has ongoing sales agreements with many of its national account customers which, collectively, represent approximately 45% of its annual sales volume.

Operations & Products. Motion is a premier industrial solutions company in North America and Australasia (including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore) due to our superior customer service, value-added services and over 19 million replacement parts. Our product and solution offerings include MRO and OEM support, specialty stores, on-site solutions offerings, service and repair offerings, and e-business assistance. We distribute a large range of MRO and OEM industrial products, such as replacement parts and related supplies such as abrasives, adhesives, sealants and tape, bearings, chemicals, cutting tools, electrical, facility maintenance, hose and fittings, hydraulics, janitorial, mechanical power transmission, pneumatics, process pumps and equipment, safety, seals and gaskets, and tools and testing instruments. The sectors we operate in include aggregate and cement, automotive, chemical and allied products, equipment and machinery, equipment rental and leasing, fabricated metals, food and beverage, iron and steel, lumber and wood, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and rubber products. We have strategically targeted specialty industries in power generation, alternative energy, government, transportation, ports, and an electric vehicle battery category based on increasing opportunities presented by the build-out of new battery manufacturing facilities across North America.

The Industrial business provides customers with supply chain efficiencies achieved through our on-site solutions offering. This service provides inventory management, asset repair and tracking, vendor managed inventory ("VMI"), as well as radio frequency identification ("RFID") asset management of the customer’s inventory. Industrial also provides a wide range of services and repairs such as gearbox and fluid power assembly and repair, process pump assembly and repair, hydraulic drive shaft repair, electrical panel assembly and repair, and hose and gasket manufacture and assembly. Motion is also a leading supplier or automation products and motion control solutions in North America through Motion AI. Separately, Motion provides leading e-business capabilities through MiSupplierConnect, a highly developed supply chain with vendor partnerships and connectivity that provides integration between our information technology network and suppliers’ systems, creating numerous benefits for both

the supplier and customer. These services and supply chain efficiencies assist Motion in providing the cost savings that many of its customers require and expect.

Distribution Network*.* The following table details the breakdown of our Industrial distribution centers, branches and service centers by geographic region as of December 31, 2023.

						North America						Australasia						Total
Distribution Centers						17						13						30
Branches						503						150						653
Service Centers						68						2						70
Total Industrial Locations						588						165						753

Our Industrial distribution centers serve the branches and service centers located throughout the geographic regions in which we operate. The branches and service centers, in turn, sell to MRO and OEM customers in all types of industries across North America and Australasia.

We are committed to enhancing the customer experience by improving access to inventory through our fulfillment centers. The fulfillment center strategy is designed to address the customer expectations of a broader inventory selection closer to the point of demand, supported by world-class final-mile delivery occurring the next business day with same-day service available. We continue to invest in our fulfillment center strategy with the opening of a second North American facility in 2023. We plan to open one to three North American facilities in 2024 and continue to invest in additional facilities in the future.

In North America, our Industrial business stocks or distributes more than 19 million different items purchased from more than 47,000 different suppliers. Its service centers provide hydraulic, hose and mechanical repairs for customers. Approximately 47% of total industrial product purchases in 2023 were made from our top 50 strategic suppliers. Sales are generated from facilities in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada.

In Australasia, our Industrial business operates a network of distribution centers, branches and service centers across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore as of December 31, 2023.

Most branches are facilities that stock inventory representative of the products used by customers in the respective market areas served.

Supplier Agreements*.* Non-exclusive distributor agreements are in effect with most of the Industrial suppliers. The terms of these agreements vary; however, it has been our experience that the custom of the trade is to treat such agreements as continuing until breached by one party or until terminated by mutual consent.

Competition*.* The industrial distribution business is highly competitive and fragmented. We compete with national, regional and local distributors, general line distributors and others. To a lesser extent, we compete with manufacturers that sell directly to the customer and with various industrial eCommerce sites. Our Industrial competitors include Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., Fastenal Company, and W.W. Grainger, Inc, among many others. We compete primarily on the breadth of product offerings, quality service and competitive pricing. Further information regarding competition in the industry is set forth in “Item 1A. Risk Factors — We face substantial competition in the industries in which we do business.”

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

We are committed to the development of sustainable and efficient operations and business practices that enhance and protect our people, our communities and our planet. Our goal is to generate above-market returns while aligning our business practices to support the interests of our stakeholders.

Our process of defining sustainability priorities focuses on the simultaneous improvement of our environmental, social and financial position, and our strong leadership and governance practices that strive to integrate sustainability into our business strategy and corporate culture. The Nominating and ESG Committee of the Board of Directors oversees our sustainability initiatives which aim to deliver long-term value for our shareholders and all our stakeholders.

We seek to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all employees. We emphasize giving back and uplifting the communities in which we operate through partnerships and volunteer efforts. Refer to the “Human Capital Management” section below for further information on our human capital management initiatives.

We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint through the implementation of sustainable initiatives throughout our value chain. We are continuously incorporating environmental stewardship in our practices and

discovering opportunities to develop more efficient operations. Additional information regarding our sustainability efforts and future initiatives can be found in our 2023 Sustainability Report and the Sustainability section of our website at www.genpt.com.

HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Our key human capital management objectives are to attract, retain and develop the highest quality talent. To support these objectives, our human resources programs are designed to connect prospective and current talent to opportunities at the company, engage current employees through an inclusive and diverse culture, and develop employees to grow for future opportunities within the organization.

As of December 31, 2023, we employed more than 60,000 people worldwide and operated within 17 countries. We are proud of our employees and are committed to helping them improve their physical, emotional, financial and social well-being. Our benefit offerings are designed to meet the varied and evolving needs of a diverse workforce across businesses and geographies while helping our employees care for themselves and their families. We offer healthcare benefits aimed at improving quality of care while limiting out-of-pocket costs. In addition, our well-being programs include an online platform that offers an interactive way to accomplish personal and financial goals and a rewards platform to reward employees for completing company sponsored competitions and well-being activities.

We periodically conduct a global engagement survey as a means of measuring employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as a tool for improving our human capital management strategies. Our leadership team reviews the survey results and based on the survey responses, action plans are developed to focus on areas of opportunity. We are pleased to report that our most recent engagement survey results were favorable overall and have shown that our employees are proud to work for the company. The results of the engagement surveys help us continuously improve our human capital strategies and find ways to foster engagement and growth for our employees.

In addition, to empower employees to continually enhance their skills and reach their maximum potential, we provide a range of development programs, resources, and opportunities. Many are facilitated locally by each business unit with core leadership development at the Corporate level. One of our more significant programs is focused on high potential employees from all global business units. This program is a combination of in-person and virtual coursework and training with the intent that participants become fully immersed in the operations of our business and develop strategies and improvements cross-functionally. We also offer various internship and rotational programs that allow employees to see different operations of our business while also building strong relationships throughout the company. Other development opportunities include on-demand and live training courses to help our employees achieve their professional and personal goals. We believe these programs demonstrate our ongoing commitment to develop our future leaders.

We provide scholarships with an emphasis for students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities and collaborate with organizations that support women such as Women in Technology and Women in Auto Care. We also support organizations that advance the interests of disadvantaged individuals and communities in need. We continue to partner with Georgia Minority Supplier Diversity Council, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, United Way's African American Partnership and Young Professional Leaders, among other programs.

Our culture is strengthened by our core values, which includes a steadfast commitment to standing up for equality for our teammates, suppliers, customers, communities and other stakeholders. As part of our investment in our people, we make diversity, equity and inclusion a top priority. We promote a diverse, inclusive, and innovative culture that encourages and embraces change, diverse ideas, and perspectives. We strive to ensure our teammates reflect our global and diverse customer base. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment where all teammates have opportunities to grow and feel a sense of belonging, regardless of gender, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression or experiences. Our goal is to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where we value, respect, and provide equal opportunities for all employees.

Our efforts are also directed internally where we encourage the exchange of ideas, actively listen to employee dialogue, provide appropriate training, and ensure that the interests of all our employees are supported and advanced. This year we launched three new business resource groups ("BRGs"). These BRGs, along with our existing BRGs, provide our teammates with venues for personal and professional development, including networking, coaching, skill building, community engagement, volunteering and advancement opportunities. We aim to leverage key learnings from these groups and expand the program globally. Overall, we seek to create an environment where there is a sense of belonging and all voices are heard and valued.

Please refer to our 2023 Sustainability Report and Human Rights Policy, which can be found on our investor relations website, for further information on human capital management.

Additional Information

Our website can be found at www.genpt.com. We make available, free of charge through our website, access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, any amendments to these documents, and other reports. These documents and reports are available under the Investor Relations section of our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We also use our website as a means of disclosing material information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under the SEC’s Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure). Important information, including news releases, analyst presentations and financial information regarding Genuine Parts is routinely posted on our website. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investor Relations portion of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Additionally, our corporate governance guidelines, codes of conduct and ethics, charters of the Compensation and Human Capital Committee and the Nominating and ESG Committee, and information regarding our procedure for shareholders and other interested parties to communicate with our Board of Directors, are available also on our website.

In Part III of this Form 10-K, we incorporate certain information by reference to our proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders. We expect to file the proxy statement with the SEC on or about March 1, 2024, and it will be available online at the same time at http://www.proxydocs.com/gpc. Please refer to the proxy statement for the information incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K when it is available.