Top 10 excuses for not buying a tax disc
A motorist who claimed to have taken so much Viagra he could not leave the house was just one of a number of excuses from people who failed to tax their car. According to information released by DVLA, motorists caught for not having a tax disc last year used a variety of excuses, which included "My mate said that if the cost of the tax is more than what the car's worth you haven't got to pay it." One motorist claimed to have fallen out of a tree while fruit picking and broke both arms so they could not fill in the necessary forms, while one motorist even blamed their mobile phone.
Continue ReadingComparative tyre test highlights grey import risk
Chinese tyres often rank poorly in comparative tests undertaken by European publications, unable to match the performance of premium rivals. But what sort of tyres do these premium manufacturers themselves produce for the Chinese market, and how would they fare against their European market siblings? German motoring magazine Auto Bild assigned its staff the task of finding out, and the results were interesting.
Continue ReadingHidden strength: Is the UK becoming an all-season tyre market?
For a decade or more the case has been made for the development of winter tyre market in the UK. While there have always been residual levels of winter tyre take-up in the most northerly and mountainous parts of Britain, in the past 10 years or so tyre manufacturers have invested considerable time, effort and resources in making it a relatively normal part of the UK tyre culture. In recent years there has been development in the winter tyre market and it seems clear that this has far from peaked. However, at the same time there is now evidence that sales of all-season tyres have matched and overtaken these. With all this in mind Tyres & Accessories spoke with representatives of Bridgestone, Falken and Hankook and asked what is the right tool for the job in the UK? And is the UK becoming an all-season tyre market?
Continue ReadingThe UK seasonal tyre market is larger than you think
The UK tyre industry has been taking deliberate steps to develop its winter tyre market for over a decade. As a result winter tyre sales constitute an increasingly important market position (see Related News in the subscriber section of this article). At the same time, the evidence Tyrepress.com has seen suggests all-season tyre sales have been growing at an even faster rate and could even be outperforming winter tyres when measured across complete 12 month periods. Back in May (see Tyres & Accessories May, page 18) we reported on the latest relevant research produced by market analysts GfK, which suggested winter tyre sales were accelerating faster than ever. This month, in keeping with our winter versus all-season theme, we expand on this data to include a number of all-season details and compare it with the conclusion drawn by our other sources.
Continue ReadingBlackcircles launches first Tesco Click & Fit in Bletchley
The first “Click & Fit” tyre service has launched at Tesco in Bletchley. The service allows customers to order tyres and make a fitting appointment through Tesco’s tyre partner Blackcircles’s website, before dropping off their car at a “Pit Stop” fitting bay at the supermarket. Tesco told local news source the Milton Keynes Citizen that customers could expect discounted tyre prices and Clubcard reward scheme points as extra incentives for using the service. An idea in the works since the companies partnered on the Tesco-Tyres.com website in January 2011, the potential for rolling out this model nationwide is clear, given the supermarket giant’s UK prominence.
Continue ReadingBBC programme slams Kwik-Fit…again
Kwik-Fit has once again found itself at the centre of unwanted attention after a BBC consumer programme accused it of recommending work that didn’t need to be done and of failing to properly carry out free tyre safety checks. On 10 July, the “Your Money, Their Tricks” programme mystery shopped 10 Kwik-Fit branches with 10 different cars. The cars, which were of various ages and models, had been pre-inspected by a forensic engineer and had been prepared in order to demonstrate whether checks had been carried out. Similar allegations were made by the BBC’s “Watchdog” programme in September 2010. But this time it was rather tackily presented, as the title of the programme and the in-show caricatures demonstrate.
Continue ReadingIconic Bond car surfaces
Ever wanted to live out your James Bond fantasies? Now the Lotus Esprit Series 1 ‘Submarine’ Car used in the “The Spy Who Loved Me” is up for auction you can…if you have enough money. But don’t bother trying to change the tyres.
Continue ReadingUHP segment where ‘the vast majority of the action takes place’ – GfK
The observation that trends regarding tyre size and speed rating have been tracing an upward trajectory for some time is nothing new, but the clear focus of the world’s largest tyre manufacturers on higher than high performance segments in Europe has perhaps never been so pronounced. Chasing improved profit margins with increased technology is always attractive to those with the capability and the incongruously strong luxury car market has provided an additional reason for migrating business focus from V-rated and 17” tyres into WYZ and 18”-plus territory, according to Automotive market research company GfK.
Continue ReadingNankang pursues UK growth with West Bromwich distribution site
With a product range encompassing a good range of high and ultra high performance fitments at an economical price-point, Taiwanese manufacturer Nankang’s potential in the UK market has always been clear. However, the brand’s UK representatives believe that its profile and perceived brand positioning in the country could be raised in line with its European activities. Committing to achieve these goals, the brand’s dis-tributor in the UK, Westlands Ltd, has taken up the new name Nankang Tyre UK, and joint managing directors Steve Smith and Scott Graham will head up the project.
Continue ReadingDunlop may end tyre manufacturing at Fort Dunlop in 2014
Despite an illustrious history dating back to 1917, 30 May could mark the end of an era for Dunlop as officials confirmed that its motorsports tyre manufacturing operation will have to find a new home away from the historic Fort Dunlop site from 2014 if their new landlord doesn't lease it back to them again. According to the landlord, Canmoor, the site has been sold to neighbouring Jaguar Land Rover. Therefore it looks likely that Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (a completely separate company from Goodyear Dunlop) will be the only tyre manufacturing operation remaining in Birmingham after the end of the current lease. Dunlop's annual motorsport tyre output is currently believed to be around 200,000 units. 180 manufacturing staff are employed there along with roughly 120 tyre testing, sales and marketing personnel.
Continue ReadingTriangle buys 10% share of TYM International
Triangle and TYM International have jointly announced the Chinese tyre manufacturer’s purchase of a 10 per cent share of its UK distributor’s business. TYM International general manager, Steve Eke and Triangle Group board chairman, Ding Yuhua exchanged documents during the Triangle Group’s 2013 Global Business Summit at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, Shanghai on 18 May. The purchase is currently subject to ratification by the Commerce Department of the Chinese Government, though both parties are confident that the deal will proceed smoothly. This year marks the tenth anniversary of TYM’s distribution of Triangle passenger car, truck and bus, and off-the-road products and Eke told Tyrepress.com that he was very pleased to have converted “the customer-supplier relationship into a partner relationship.”
Continue ReadingNot just a fast-fit market
With half of all tyres sold through tyre specialists, this is clearly the most influential route to market for tyre suppliers. Within this segment the balance of power is divided between a relatively small number of nationally influential retail chains and large numbers of smaller operators. In fact, according to the Tyre Industry Federation Factbook 85 per cent of tyre specialists operate from a single outlet. At the same time we have all been dealing with the financial effects of general economic upheaval. All this makes insights into the ebb and flow of the tyre retail sector all the more valuable.
Continue ReadingThe re-volving retail market
Roughly half of the 30 million-odd tyres sold to UK motorists each year are delivered through tyre specialists, a figure that is broadly comparable with figures across Europe. And while there are some noteworthy differences between the structure of the UK tyre market and mainland Europe in general, perhaps the most interesting details are to be found within this 50 per cent. That’s why in this month’s retail chains/buying groups feature Tyres & Accessories considers the state and make-up of the sell-out market and releases the details of latest top 20 tyre retail chains survey. As well as our own research we consider data compiled and analysed by four well-known third-party research firms, however for commercial and confidentiality reasons we aren’t citing the sources individually each time they are mentioned. Instead this year’s retail report analyses their input and presents our view of the consensus.
Continue ReadingT&A meets Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director Erich Fric
The latest in a succession of leaders at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, Erich Fric brings with him an easy-going, but teutonic clarity into his (relatively) new role of Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director. Almost a year after news of the appointment was released, Tyres & Accessories visited the company headquarters in mid-April for the MD’s first published interview in his current role where he shared his views on the British tyre market and recent corporate criticism of the companies EMEA region.
Continue ReadingTyre explosion death ‘accidental’
A fitter killed in a tyre explosion in 2006 died an “accidental death”, according to the jury at an inquest into the incident. Matthew Hoare was 21 when the earthmover tyre he was repairing blew up, throwing him 15ft into a metal wall and killing him instantly.
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