Stapleton’s: Meeting motorists’ needs

Back in July 2016 a survey of tyre tread depth when brought in for replacement by safety organisation TyreSafe in collaboration with Highways England produced disturbing results. Of nearly 102,000 tyres checked from 810 British retailers almost a quarter were illegal for road use – the equivalent of 10 million potentially dangerous tyres. More worrying was the report that there’s an upward trend in the percentage of tyres with illegal tread depths on replacement (66% percent in 2015 and 70% in 2016). TyreSafe’s alarming prediction was that ‘higher numbers of dangerous and illegal tyres will be driven on the UK’s road’s in 2017’.

It’s too early to know if that prediction came true. But Stapleton’s highlights the unique position of the tyre retailer – and distributor – to helping motorists avoid driving on tyres with dangerous levels of wear.

“It’s no exaggeration to say tyres are part of any vehicle’s primary safety equipment,” says Stapleton’s Wholesale director Nigel O’Hara. “And by ensuring our retail partners are in a position to offer replacement tyres at the keenest prices without concession in terms of quality, performance or safety, we can do our bit for road safety – as well as for our retailers’ profitability.”

For many years it’s been one of Stapleton’s stated aims to provide a tyre for every vehicle on the road, whether it’s the product of one of the world-renowned premium brands such as Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Hankook, Pirelli and Michelin et al, or from the exclusive Stapleton’s stable. Covering every price point, including the most affordable end of the spectrum, tyres from the likes of Nexen, Maxxis, Matador, Roadstone and Riken are available in the UK only from Stapleton’s and are reportedly increasingly asked for by name.

“They may be exclusive to Stapleton’s,” adds O’Hara, “but they’re available to everyone. By delivering terrific value for money in every market sector, we’re not only promoting car drivers’ safety by reducing significantly the disincentive of cost – we’re simultaneously growing our market by encouraging motorists to replace tyres sooner.”

And of course, the cost implications don’t stop with the up-front price. A tyre’s design and quality also impact the cost of motoring in terms of tyre life and fuel consumption, which, of course has its own effect on the environment.

Stapleton’s aims to give retail partners (and consumers) a genuinely comprehensive choice across all price points in this hotly contested sector, Nigel O’Hara concludes. “By reducing the cost disincentives to tyre replacement, that’s a real contribution to road safety – as well as a valuable boost to the retailer’s bottom line. Especially when you factor in the Key Dealer Programmes associated with most of the exclusive brands, which offer preferential pricing, branded work-wear, and promotional point of sale support.”