Looking forward to a better 2022, despite “disruption”

At the end of the year, it is customary to look back at the preceding 12 months as well as to look forward at what the future has to hold. One way our culture sums up the past year is to nominate a fitting word that encapsulates the spirit of the age. Last year our word of the year was “unprecedented”. This year the (OED) Oxford English Dictionary word of 2021 is “vax”, which offers us all – as if it were needed – a reminder of the continuing presence of Covid-19 during the last year.

Staying with the theme of words that capture the zeitgeist, one bit of light relief during the last couple of months has been Goodyear’s decision to partner with Susie Dent (of both OED and Countdown fame) in producing a series of social media posts highlighting some lesser-known English vocabulary. Of course, the goal of this original social media marketing campaign is to raise the profile of Goodyear’s “good all year” year-round tyre performance. Two of my personal favourites are “flenched” and “circumbendibus”. According to Goodyear and Susie Dent, “flenched” refers to weather that looks as though it might improve, but never does – appropriate for an all-season tyre! Circumbendibus, on the other hand, has nothing to do with bus tyres or even the Crown Commercial Services government fleet tyre supply contract that is covered in detail this month in the UK section of the magazine (see pages 14 to 16). Rather, it means something like this: an argument that goes round the houses to makes its point. In order to avoid making that mistake, now would be a good time to press on.

Whatever OED and Susie might think, my word for the year is “disruption”. Of course, we have all experienced disruption to our personal and business lives as a result of the coronavirus and its associated lockdowns. Like the virus itself, this has come in waves. And each time we as a business and as a wider industry have pulled together in order to overcome the challenges facing us.

But there is a second definition of disruption that is even more relevant than the first – especially as it pertains to looking forward into 2022. During 2020 one leading retail executive told me “never waste a good crisis”. That sentiment is particularly apt to this discussion because crisis doesn’t only spell disaster, but also means crucial turning point. In the same way, disruption doesn’t just refer to delays and obstacles, but also provides the opportunity to change tack.

And that is something that the tyre business is obviously doing. Firstly, there has been the broad re-emphasis on sustainability from the raw material suppliers, through the manufacturing and distribution chain then right back to the beginning via recycling and moves towards the circular economy (see pages 42 to 53 for in-depth coverage of these particular points as well as page 34 for another example).

There has also been a “seismic” shift in the way tyres are researched, bought and sold, with Stapleton’s managing director Andy Fern telling us that “online tyre sales continue to take an ever-greater share of the overall tyre market” and that “consumer expectations have risen alongside this, where a seamless digital experience and fast delivery has become essential to compete online” in this month’s Torque from the Top interview on page 20.

The last quarter of 2022 has also seen massive shifts in bricks and mortar tyre retail business. Neither of the two clearest examples were unforeseeable, but there is no question that the outcomes are more visible than ever and – in both cases – point to continuing trends. I am, of course, referring to Halfords’ acquisition of National Tyres/Axle Group which emphasises the company’s serious efforts to lead the UK tyre retail business (see pages 32-33). But the recent advance of the First Stop chain is also an example of how the balance of power is shifting in the tyre retail space (see pages 17-18).

If that all wasn’t enough, there have also been renewed efforts to fully integrate technology into the tyre distribution chain. Specifically, the RoboTire project latest multi-million-dollar funding round raises questions about what exactly a tyre dealership might look like in 10 years’ time.

Whatever all this disruption brings, we can be optimistic that 2022 will be a better year because, even though there are likely to be more unknowns along the way, we are all better prepared for dealing with the unknown than we have ever been. With that in mind, what better time than now to say: thankyou to you our customers, subscribers and wider readership – may we all despite (and perhaps and perhaps because of) the “disruption” in 2022.

Look out for all the articles referred to in this text in December’s Tyres & Accessories magazine, which will be distributed shortly. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one.