Grouptyre Says New e-Commerce Initiative Benefits Trade

Grouptyre has launched a new e-commerce platform intended to make it easy for consumers to buy tyres via the web. In addition the Good Tyre Guide (www.goodtyreguide.com), as it is known, is also designed to channel business to retailers so they can get a share of the growing online marketplace.

In its launch information Grouptyre reports that consumers are increasingly happy to buy online, citing data that suggests UK shoppers spent £38 billion in 2009 (source: 4psmarketing.com). With the launch of new site Grouptyre says it is determined that its tyre retailing customers won’t get left behind.

“We’ve taken the time to understand what our industry needs and believe the Good Tyre Guide is the most innovative e-commerce proposition out there. It provides tyre retailers with three distinct ways to boost their profitability – which, in turn, will enable them to grow – and with the full backing of Grouptyre’s 13 members we are confident it will enable them to take full advantage of the power of the internet,” says Grouptyre’s sales director Paul Hollows.

An interface between the tyre retailer and 32.8 million UK shoppers online, the Good Tyre Guide is essentially intended to be a shop that opens 24 hours a day, seven days a week and gives consumers the option of choosing from more than 7,000 tyre lines. Potential buyers can view tyre technical information online, when it suits them and access product features and benefits when viewing the available products. According to the company, the combination of high quality data and competitive prices, including a host of special offers and promotions, will encourage consumers to keep coming back.

Site philosophy offer profits to retailers

The major difference between the Good Tyre Guide and other websites that enable consumers to buy tyres online is the benefits it offers the trade.  According to Grouptyre, dealers can extend their sales territories and because there are three distinct profit opportunities associated with each consumer purchase, they can grow their businesses.

This is said to contrast with existing websites that allow retailers to make a profit on fitting the tyre and from selling ancillary services such as tracking, but the retailer rarely retains the profit on the sale of the tyre itself. The Good Tyre Guide guarantees retailers a healthy margin on the product sale as well and at no cost, because signing up as a fitting station is easy and there is “no registration fee and no hidden charges.”

The way tyre retailers reportedly get two bites of the cherry. Once consumers have selected their tyre, they can select a company from the list of registered dealers to fit the tyres. By registering as a fitting centre, retailers can promote themselves as the local specialist.

Good Tyre Guide offers ‘plugin’ option

Since the Good Tyre Guide’s e-commerce functionality can be added to retailer websites, those who already have an online presence can maximise their investment by filtering the results of the retailer search to show their centre(s) only. The Good Tyre Guide can also be rebranded in line with a retailer’s corporate identity, so buyers will see it as an integral part of the retailer’s website, and adding a web link from their existing site means a retailer’s customers can select a tyre, process the order, pay online and have their tyres fitted by that business .

As part of the development phase Grouptyre organised a series of presentations, Q&A sessions and work groups, with input from specialist suppliers and the organisation’s senior managers, to ensure the Good Tyre Guide was advanced in accordance with their feedback. The company is now rolling out its innovative e-commerce proposition to the trade following the official launch to the 13 Grouptyre members in July, when two roadshows were attended by over 80 people.

“We are really excited about the Good Tyre Guide, which we believe is the best in the industry. On average UK consumers carry out more than 200,000 searches for tyre related keywords each month, so we know they are ready and willing to buy tyres over the internet, and we are looking forward to showing retailers how they can benefit from our investment in the supply chain,” said Paul Hollows.