Giti Tire Launches Truck Service Programme
Much has changed since Tyres & Accessories first met the then fledging Giti Tire Europe team at the 2006 Essen Show. Now, more than a year later, the staff count has doubled with the addition of some high profile executives; and sales are up 30 per cent year-on-year. When Tyres & Accessories met up with Giti Tire Europe’s UK, North & East Europe, and Russia sales director, Richard Lyons; and marketing manager Europe, Peter Foulkes, news of the Giti Assist truck service programme and the company’s new Heifei factory were top of the agenda. But these expansion plans are only the beginning, and the word is that an extensive new marketing programme is underway, with a rack full of new product releases scheduled for next year.
Continue ReadingHow Blackcircles uses Conventional Media to Boost Online Sales
Blackcircles.com’s rapid success, gained through adapting dotcom technology to suit the tyre business, is well documented. According to Plimsoll’s 2007 analysis, the online tyre enterprise is the 32nd fastest growing company in the UK tyre business and blew away industry sales averages by posting sales growth of 80 per cent. So what’s the secret? The ever-increasing number of “fitting stations” listed as Blackcircles franchisees is one reason for the business’ rapid growth, but the company’s use of conventional media strategies appears to be another way it has kept traffic coming. As Blackcircles prepares to sign-up its 300th franchise garage, the company has also launched a service designed to give consumers instant access to mechanics across the UK. The move follows the launch of www.mechanic-torque.co.uk in which consumers can post queries about their car and receive an expert answer from a Blackcircles franchise mechanic. Since launching in early 2006, the Blackcircles franchise network has spread across the UK. The franchise arrangement sees local independent garages retain their identity, but gain access to Blackcircles’ stock checking and ordering systems. Blackcircles plans to increase the number of franchises to 500 by December and 800 within a year.
Continue ReadingPoor Telephone Skills Hand eTailers Opportunity
The idea of an online tyre replacement market might sound like a less-than-significant niche to you, but when you consider that the UK and Germany are not only the most “wired,” but also the two of the continent’s largest tyre markets, it is clear that this means a lot of tyres and potentially a lot of money. The total online shopping market is currently worth £21 billion and is expected to triple in the years to come. As far as tyres are concerned, the leading online players are banking on the increase in broadband availability bringing extra customers organically, but one report Tyres & Accessories has seen suggests the poor communications skills of some conventional businesses are handing e-tailers even more opportunities.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit Fleet Launches ‘Intelligent’ Online Tyre Management
Kwik-Fit Fleet has launched a new web-based ‘intelligent’ tyre management authorisation and reporting system, which is being rolled out to Britain’s biggest fleet operators. About 50 companies managing more 1.3 million vehicles, including Britain’s largest fleet, Motability Operations which runs around 450,000 vehicles, and the country’s largest contract hire business, Lex which has a fleet of almost 270,000 vehicles, will benefit from the technology. For the past decade Kwik-Fit Fleet’s tyre management programme has been utilised by some of Britain’s biggest outright purchase fleets and leasing companies to control their tyre maintenance spend. Details of all transactions are logged and information on tread depths of tyres removed, brands and size of tyres fitted, mileage of vehicle at time of replacement and the reason for tyre replacement are all captured by Kwik Fit on behalf of customers.
Continue ReadingNTDA Names 2007 TAFF Award Winners
On Wednesday 2, alongside the Brityrex International exhibition, the NTDA named the 2007 TAFF award winners. Michelin took best single company result of the night, winning two awards. But Bridgestone, Vellco, Apaseal and Group Tyre were also celebrating success in categories including production innovation, wholesaler of the year and tyre and aftermarket equipment supplier of the year. The awards were presented during a glittering ceremony at Manchester’s Palace Hotel, which featured well-known stand-up comic Stan Boardman. The Tyre and Fast Fit (TAFF) Awards, which are sponsored by Renault UK, are the NTDA’s own awards which were established in 2005 to reward excellence from industry suppliers and, in that short time, they have firmly established themselves as the premier awards for the UK Tyre Industry. The 2007 TAFF awards included categories for Tyre Manufacturer, National Wholesaler, Tyre and Aftermarket Equipment Supplier, Product Innovation and a special award for Industry Advertising Campaigns. A special category covering scrap tyre disposal, collecting and recycling is entitled the Environmental Award.
Continue ReadingNew Tyre Safety Organisation for Northern Ireland
Key retailers attending a regional meeting of the NTDA earlier this month agreed to set up a new tyre safety group for the province under the guidance of retiring NTDA regional chairman Roy Nutt who will be driving forward proposals for a major tyre safety initiative in the province later this year. Entitled the Northern Ireland Tyre Safety Association (NITSA) the group will be formally created at a special open meeting to be held next month in Templepatrick where proposals a for a tyre safety week will be discussed.
Continue ReadingNew Appointments at Blackcircles.com Support Rapid Expansion
Innovative tyre retailer Blackcircles.com has announced two new additions to its executive team as it prepares for another year of exciting growth. Launched in 2001 by managing director Mike Welch (28), the online tyre retailer has set a new quality standard for the tyre industry and strong sales in 2006 has seen it create the two new posts of commercial director and head of finance.
Continue ReadingCouncil Gets Tough on Dumper
A habitual fly-tipper has been taught a lesson he is unlikely to forget in a hurry after officials seized a Mitsubishi 4x4 he had used during his illicit operations and put it through a crusher. Council bosses in Wigan approved this drastic measure against the trader suspected of dumping car tyres in a number of locations around the Wigan area.
Continue ReadingAshley Croft To Leave Micheldever
Ashley Croft, Warehousing, Logistics and Wholesale Sales Director of Micheldever Tyre Services, has resigned from the company. Ashley Croft was one of the original six members of management involved in the Buy Out of the company in February 2006.
Continue ReadingTyres of Tomorrow
We all know that the number of fitments on the market is increasing, but what will tyres - and therefore the tyre market of the future - look like? In a recent media briefing Continental market analyst Eulogio Sanz and product manager Peter Robb predicted that the 28 million-unit strong UK passenger car tyre market will split between those wanting economic and environmental performance and those who just want to go faster.
Continue ReadingFacing the Facts
In his inaugural speech as chairman of the NTDA Tyre Wholesalers Group (TWG), Ashley Croft did not waste any time in highlighting the issues he wishes to address during his tenure. Referring to certain manufacturers’ use of logistics companies and the place of wholesalers in the UK tyre business, Croft opened a discussion to which there is no quick resolution – calling on manufacturers to resist the urge to increase their direct market control and rather further their relationship with the professional wholesale membership that the TWG represents. In his own words Ashley Croft is “a great believer in not perpetuating things if they have served their purpose.” Croft commented that there is still “unfinished work to be done” and the fact that he accepted immediate past chairman Peter Gaster’s invitation to take over at the TWG would suggest that Ashley Croft remains a firm believer in the usefulness of the group.
Continue Reading1012 bhp Bristol Fighter-T Runs on Michelin Tyres
Kensington-based luxury carmaker, Bristol, has announced that it has produced a record braking variation of its Bristol Fighter model. Seen as something of a Bugati (Veyron) beater, the Fighter T’s twin turbocharged and intercooled 8-litre V10 engine is capable of producing 1012 bhp and a top speed of 270 mph, which has been electronically limited to 225 mph.
Continue ReadingATS Euromaster Wins Three-Year Contract with Fraikin
ATS Euromaster has secured one of the largest tyre supply and management contracts awarded in 2006 after winning a three year deal with Fraikin. The contract includes the majority of the 14,000 vehicles under Fraikin’s management, ranging from small vans and rigids to 44 tonne tractor units and trailers. ATS Euromaster secured the contract – estimated to be worth approximately £3 million a year – after carrying out a complete review of Fraikin’s requirements.
Continue ReadingFar From Frozen
With less than 1 per cent of the total UK market, no-one is saying the cold weather segment is huge, but speaking to influential market representatives reveals that the last couple of years have seen the industry make renewed efforts to raise awareness, emphasising both the safety benefits and profitability that cold weather tyres offer. Some manufacturers are even expecting the segment to total 3 million units “in the medium to long term.” Tyres & Accessories spoke to the leading cold weather players and asked what progress they have made and what’s happening next? In short the answer is growth. Many of the manufacturers surveyed by T&A said 2005 was a good year for cold-weather sales, while all were positive about their performance this year. T&A estimates, based on Europool figures suggest that almost 54,000 non-truck winter tyres were sold in the UK last year, up almost 15 per cent on 2004.
Continue ReadingMaking the Most of the Internet
Online retailing has come of age and UK consumers are leading the way. Conservative calculations suggest UK e-shoppers bought some £6.9 billion worth of products online in 2005. This year IMRG, the professional body representing online retailers, expects sales to increase to around £30 billion because 45 per cent of shoppers are looking to increase their online spending this year. Despite this, government figures suggest that only 15 per cent of tyre related businesses are represented online. And the 2006 NTDA/Trend Tracker Tyre Wholesaler survey found that over half of respondents described the Internet as “not important” when it came to their part of the business. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Internet specialists from both inside and outside of the tyre trade and found out that fresh business is there for the taking.
Continue Reading
