There is no question that winter 2010/2011 was a great success when it came to the sales of cold weather tyres. Many wholesalers and distributors found that their projections were far too low; some wholesalers reported that they sold three to four times more than they expected, while tyre manufacturers said they would have supplied more if their factories could produce them fast enough.

The fact that it was the second consecutive “severe” winter in the UK really helped drive home the issue. And the combined efforts of retail chains; car dealerships and the industry mean that there is still momentum in this pre-season before the mercury drops. ATS Euromaster for example bought in £3 million of winter tyre stock last season and are doubling it this year, (see separate article for more details). Meanwhile Mercedes and BMW began promoting tyre hotels, making the two-sets-of-wheels model a reality. But what about this winter and the winters to come? Tyres & Accessories asked Bridgestone North Region sales and marketing director Andy Lane, who has the unique responsibility of overseeing sales in the classic winter markets of the Nordic countries and the more complex and temperate conditions of the UK.