Euromaster: pan-European cold weather tyre demand reaches “all time high”

It was widely predicted that the winter, or cold weather tyre market would experience growth in Europe this winter; indeed, the question turned from whether there would be growth to how much of a leap this winter would see. The Euromaster Group has now announced that demand for cold weather tyres across Europe saw volumes reach an all-time high. Its sales alone of the high-grip seasonal car and van fitments exceeded 1.5 million units for the first time, rising by 20 per cent from 1.4 million in 2009 to 1.68 million in 2010. In the UK, volumes sold by ATS Euromaster have risen over the past two winters by 955 per cent.

Ian Stuart, group managing director of ATS Euromaster, says: “In a tough economy, firms which minimise downtime and keep going in spite of the snow and ice have a clear competitive advantage.  We can’t control the weather, but our experience, both on the continent and in the UK, shows that we can help fleets cope with it more effectively by preparing their vehicles in advance.” ATS Euromaster is predicting further growth in the cold weather tyre market in 2011 and says it is already engaging with new customers to discuss tyre requirements for next winter.

However, Stuart warns: “The rise in demand from across Europe means that fleets need to place advance orders before the end of March in order to guarantee stock for next winter. Businesses waiting for the first snow to fall in November are likely to face another winter sat at the side of the road, tyres spinning and not going anywhere fast. It’s essential to plan ahead.”

Early 2010 saw ATS Euromaster become the first national tyre supplier to offer a dedicated cold weather tyres programme for UK fleets, a trend that continued with other large retailers in time for the 2010/11 winter. ATS-E individually labels and stores a customer’s summer tyres within its local centres, ready for re-fitting the following March or April. Part-worn cold weather tyres can then be placed in storage ready for next winter. ATS-E says that utilising hundreds of ‘tyre hotels’ throughout its own network ensures the fastest access to a customer’s tyres when the seasons change.

“If snowfall arrives earlier than planned, having the tyres on-site at a local level means we can get customers into the centre and back on the road as quickly as possible.  This also avoids any risk of the delivery of a customer’s tyres being held up by a logistics supplier,” adds Stuart.

Every tyre removed from a vehicle and placed into storage within one of ATS Euromaster’s tyre hotels benefits from a thorough safety inspection.  This sees tread depths measured and each casing inspected for damage, allowing ATS Euromaster to proactively order any replacement tyres required prior to the customer’s vehicle returning to the centre.

Related news:

• ATS Euromaster Backs Tyresafe in Criticism Of Cold Weather Tyre Insurance Premiums
• Will Colder Temperatures Prompt Winter Tyre Change?
• ATS Euromaster Orders £3 Million of Cold Weather Tyres