Retail service centres to boost Cooper Tire’s brand recognition in China

Cooper Tire & Rubber has shared news of its work with tyre dealers in China to elevate Cooper brand awareness amongst consumers, including the many first-time car buyers in this enormous market. The tyre maker says that over the past eight months it has collaborated with dealers to introduce a new retail concept. So far this has led to the opening of four Cooper ‘Superfeel Centers’ in China. The first of these outlets opened in Shanghai in November 2014, and this was followed by centres in Shandong (January 2015), Beijing (March 2015) and Chengdu (July 2015). These four sites will be joined by two more Superfeel Centers, in Baoding and Inner Mongolia, by the end of this year.

Cooper Superfeel Centers sell an expansive array of passenger car, SUV and other types of tyre in what Cooper Tire calls an “enhanced shopping environment.” Products are featured on dimensional and interactive displays as well as upon large format video screens. The centres also offer a host of related services, including wheel alignment, balancing and tyre repair, as well as other value-added automotive services.

“The Cooper brand has been in China for more than nine years and the tyre business there is quite unlike the United States. It’s a highly fragmented business with no major distribution channels or household retail names,” commented Brad Hughes, chief operating officer at Cooper Tire & Rubber. “The nature of the market and the explosive growth in vehicle ownership in China provide an opportunity for Cooper to team with dealers to build upon our already respected brand in the region with a new retail tyre sales and service experience that is an enhancement over what exists today. We’ve invested in the Cooper Superfeel Center concept to stand out in the marketplace and gain acceptance for our brand among consumers, many of whom are buying their first cars.

“The Cooper Superfeel Center gives us a way to further embed our brand in China, and it is among a set of initiatives in our overall Asia growth strategy, which calls for significantly expanding our presence in China through widening distribution, and continued penetration of the original equipment market,” added Hughes. “The quality of our products, many developed at Cooper’s Asia Technical Center in Kunshan and produced in China, have earned Cooper entry into several OE accounts in Asia. Now, with the Cooper Superfeel Centers, we are also earning our way into the consumer market by partnering with dealers to present a distinctive shopping experience coupled with outstanding service.”