Michelin is the most search tyre brand on Google in Europe, according to price comparison site Rezulteo. Rezulteo studied the popularity of tyre brands in Europe using Google search volume data for tyre manufacturers in each country from 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019. The study took “brand name” + “tyre” queries in the official languages of each European country into account.
In addition to impacting upon the UK’s automotive industry, a no-deal Brexit presents complications for online tyre and car parts businesses. To gain an insight into changes in customer purchasing habits as Brexit approaches, courier express parcel company DPDgroup tasked market research institute GfK with assessing trends in e-commerce. GfK surveyed 24,258 e-shoppers in 21 European countries on behalf of DPDgroup. What it found was that the payment of additional taxes and duties, as well as longer delivery times, could prove a stumbling block to the future development of cross-border e-commerce in Europe.
We are all familiar with the likes of MoneySuperMarket, CompareTheMarket and Confused.com. Beginning with financial and insurance products, these sites set out to give consumers more choice and the ability to compare the prices. Owing to the fact that tyres are arguably more complex, the tyre industry has moved a bit slower when it comes to comparison. During the last year or so, however, tyre comparison has come of age. So, who are the main players, what are the differences and where did tyre comparison all begin?
Pirelli has returned to the top of our global social media ranking after four years away from pole position. The last time the @Pirelli-linked account led the way in Tyrepress’ worldwide meta-metric was in 2015 when the Italian tyre manufacturer well-known for its luxury and supercar marketing won with 84.50 points. Last year, the same score of 84.50 only secured second place for Pirelli. But this time round Pirelli achieved 90.30 with scores over 90 awarded by both Klear and Kred. This marks the first time that any brand has achieved two 90-plus scores in any of our social media rankings since they began eight years ago in 2011.
On 14 September 2019, the EU updated PSD2. Do you know what this means? Is your online shop ready for these new rules?
4JET has developed a mobile app that provides QR code-based identification for the tyre retailers and manufacturers. The Scannect is available now on the iOS and Android platforms.
Colchester-based Shaikly Motor Company has used garage management specialist TechMan to improve efficiency as the business expands. Established in 1977, the family run business has grown to be the largest independent Bosch car service, MOT and repair centre in Colchester, employing 22 members of staff.
The Motor Ombudsman has added a new module on distance sales to its Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved online training portfolio. Tailored to the needs of businesses operating in the motor industry, it joins the existing suite of web-based courses on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Bridgestone Europe (Bridgestone) will rename TomTom Telematics as Webfleet Solutions on 1 October 2019, following its acquisition of the company on 1 April. The tyre giant revealed that the EMEA business currently serves more than 1.2 million vehicles with mobility subscriptions and fleet solutions.
US-based tyre e-tailer SimpleTire has been named the fastest-growing automotive company in America by Inc. Magazine. A recent SimpleTire innovation was how it expanded its installation programme so consumers can receive a “white glove” installation at a flat rate.
Online car repair marketplace, ClickMechanic.com has added tyre replacements to its service offering, partnering with wholesaler Bond International. The website states that the new addition will enable both existing mechanics as well as new tyre specialists to register their services on the site. Bond will supply tyres to the site’s network at what ClickMechanic describes as “an extremely competitive trade price,” based on high volumes promised by the site.
Delticom AG has managed to maintain its gross profit level in the first half of the year despite a slight decrease in sales compared with the prior-year period. Revenues amounted to 285 million euros in the six months to 30 June 2019, 2.1 per cent less year-on-year. Gross profit was 76.9 million euros, nearly unchanged compared to the previous year; stable profits and lower sales meant that the gross margin slightly grew to 21.9 per cent (H1 2018: 21.7%).
On 14 June 102 psi launched The Global OTR Library, a free online resource of OTR tyre information. According to the project’s founder, 102 psi, the library makes “multi-brand technical OTR tyre information available at the touch of a button”.
Nexen Tire has formed a strategic partnership with Plug and Play, the world’s largest corporate innovation platform and startup accelerator. Plug and Play was an early investor in Silicon Valley’s most renowned firms including PayPal, Lending Club, Dropbox and SoundHound. In doing so Nexen has highlighted its view of the importance of start-up thinking, future mobility, open-R&D and the Internet of Things (IoT) – all trends that the wider tyre industry is predicted to become increasingly involved in over time.
At the start of May, Zivojin Sekulic of GAJ d.o.o. gave a presentation on the digital transformation of the tyre industry at Guangrao Tyre Conference and Expo 2019. Shortly afterwards, he shared details of the presentation with Tyres & Accessories, which shows how digital data is affecting all parts of the distribution chain.
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