Sold Out – Kwik-Fit Winter Tyre Stocks Snapped Up

Winter is still well and truly with us yet those seeking cold weather tyres for their car needn’t pay their local Kwik-Fit outlet a visit – the fast fit network reports its entire 50,000 unit allocation of winter passenger car tyres has sold out following strong interest from both corporate and retail customers. Kwik-Fit says it still has some 5,000 winter tyres for light commercial vehicles in stock, however.

Kwik-Fit Fleet launched its first comprehensive winter tyre programme in September 2010, ordering a conservative quantity of cold weather tyres for UK motorists – the company says this cautious approach was taken as it was unsure how many customers would equip their vehicles with winter tyres. However, Kwik-Fit notes, demand for these cold weather tyres “immediately rocketed” as many businesses decided not to repeat their experiences of driving on standard tyres in the previous harsh winter. Fleet interest in cold weather tyres accelerated even further in November and December as snow and freezing temperatures swept across the UK making driving hazardous, particularly on standard tyres. Kwik-Fit thus found itself in a situation where it could sell all the winter tyres it had, yet international demand restricted the shipment of further supplies to UK wholesalers and retailers.

 In light of such unprecedented demand for winter tyres, Kwik-Fit urges fleet managers to not procrastinate when considering their passenger car winter tyre needs for the 2011/12 season and to place their orders as soon as possible. Demand has significantly exceeded supply this winter, particularly on cars. However, whilst we have details of the number and sizes of cold weather tyres we sold, we also know more about customer demand and the range of tyre sizes we could have sold if they were available,” commented Kwik-Fit Fleet sales director Peter Lambert. “We would urge fleets that require cold weather tyres for winter 2011/12 to inform us of their requirements as soon as possible to enable orders to be placed with tyre manufacturers. Placing orders with Kwik-Fit Fleet in the first quarter of this year for supply in September or October is not too early.”

While many fleet managers discussed fitting cold weather tyres with Kwik-Fit, Peter Lambert believes that for some the inability to exactly quantify the business benefit coupled with the additional cost of fitting winter tyres meant decisions were delayed until it became too late. “Only considering the fitment of cold weather tyres when snow starts falling is too late,” he cautioned. “Advance planning and order placement by businesses is essential.”

Based on sales figures for this winter, Lambert believes that Kwik-Fit could more than double its supply of cold weather tyres for 2011/12, particularly with contract hire and leasing companies actively analysing how they can meet client demand. “Our contract hire and leasing company customers are looking at how they can offer cold weather tyres to customers as part of their existing monthly contract hire lease rental,” he explained. “Some fleets that operate their company cars and vans on contract are reluctant it seems to spend additional money equipping their vehicles with cold weather tyres.”

Yet Kwik-Fit points out that swapping standard tyres for a product specifically designed for winter conditions can reduce fleet operating costs. Depending on vehicle mileage, winter tyres could last for two or even three winters. As a result, wear and tear suffered by standard tyres – which is increased in harsh road conditions – is reduced, thus extending their working life. A further winter tyre bonus, one that can’t be ignored, is the shorter braking distances cold weather tyres offer on icy roads; Kwik-Fit comments that at 20mph a car or van equipped with cold weather tyres will stop 11 metres sooner on icy road than its summer tyre shod counterpart.