PitStopArabia.com, a UAE-based online tyre retailer, has announced that Mitsubishi Corporation has become a strategic partner and a shareholder in the company. The e-tailer described the investment as a “significant milestone” that will be used to bolster market share by expanding regionally. The value of the investment has not been disclosed.
Tirescanner.com has appointed former Jack Williams director of marketing, Scott Friedman as VP of sales. The US online tyre sales portal’s president, and founder of Blackcircles.com in the UK, Mike Welch said: “I am delighted to be able to welcome Scott into the Tirescanner family. It is really important to me that we appoint the very best talent from the tyre industry.”
As voice control continues to gain popularity in the home, consumers are increasingly hoping to use Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri in the vehicle too. An increasing number of OEMs are now poised to give in to popular consumer demands and integrate Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in-vehicle, without the need for a handset and despite concerns over data and OEM-branding. According to ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies, 20 million vehicles shipping in 2023 are expected to enable one or more of these assistants, without consumers requiring a handset to use the digital assistant.
In the US, the YourMechanic interactive platform that delivers mobile repair, maintenance, inspection and reconditioning services directly to millions of consumer, mobility and fleet clients has added goodyear.com to its offering.
Motorists in China can now buy Michelin tyres online thanks to an expansion of Michelin China’s partnership with JD.com, the country’s largest retailer. JD.com has launched a first-party flagship store on its platform. The newly-extended partnership will also see Michelin and JD.com integrate their offline automotive service networks; consumers buying Michelin tyres on JD.com will be given priority to choose service networks such as TyrePlus for fitment.
Compilator has acquired Inforoute, a provider of software for fleet servicing companies, such as Truck Tyre Manager Vision and Inspector Link. The company said that the acquisition is part of its continued investment in fleet services for tyre businesses. Adding Inforoute to its business is a means of leading that expansion, Compilator adds, with Inforoute online fleet inspection software to be launched in all Compilator markets across Northern Europe.
The integration of CAM’s e-jobsheet into Bridgestone Europe’s FleetBridge system has gone live this week. The systems provider states that the integration will enable the open-access, digital tablet-based service work exchange platform for truck, bus, van, and now also car, to deliver greater shared accuracy between e-jobsheet dealer subscribers and Bridgestone Europe.
A new online tyre price comparison service has launched, aiming to provide UK motorists with an online tool to choose their tyres quickly and easily, and bringing together products from a wide variety of retail businesses. Motokiki’s comparison engine is designed to offer an impartial whole of market price comparison of tyres from a broad range of suppliers, as well as tyre label result comparison, and the location in which they can be fitted. The company initially comprises 20 staff in offices a short walk from Port Talbot railway station, working on the technical development and marketing of the website, with other aspects of the business outsourced to teams around the country, such as its London-based communications agency, FWD Consulting. Tyres & Accessories travelled to south Wales in late November to attend the launch, with Maven Capital Partners (“Maven”) and the Development Bank of Wales, which have collectively made an equity investment of £3 million in the company, also represented.
Mike Welch, the founder of Blackcircles.com has founded Tirescanner.com, a new online portal designed for North American tyre retailers. Initially investing more than $1million in the venture, Welch claims it will be “North America’s first online portal for brick and mortar tyre retailers.” Welch sold UK “click and fit” tyre retailer, Blackcircles to Michelin three years ago, and will bring his online experience to the world’s largest tyre retail market in the US, where replacement tyre sales reached $39.6 billion in 2017. Earlier in 2018, Welch became strategic adviser and shareholder of Indian e-commerce venture Tyremarket.com, while he joined the board of US player Simpletire.com in 2017, prior to US distributor Dealer Tires, itself currently in the process of being acquired by Bain Capital, making an investment in the company this year.
October has been a tumultuous month for US tyre distribution. First ATD filed for Chapter 11 during the first week of the month. Then, less than two week’s later Sears, which includes Sears Autocentres (itself one just two major tyre installation partners for Amazon), also applied for bankruptcy protection. Now market analysts are asking if Amazon is planning to buy ATD.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has introduced a new tyre retail process that integrates online purchases with real-life fitment. “Roll by Goodyear”, as the new approach has been named, will start out in the Washington, DC, metro area where Roll by Goodyear showrooms and the multiple installation options will be available. The goal is to offer consumers the chance to purchase interchangeably between online and in-store, according to the company.
GRI has launched a new website featuring improved menu functionality and a responsive layout, making it easier to navigate on a wide range of web browsers and multiple devices.
This year Amazon really stepped up its presence in the tyre space, especially in the USA where the company is now dominant across online retail in general. To be specific, a whopping 50 per cent of everything bought online is from Amazon. But these figures are not just an American phenomenon. In the UK, 33 per cent of online retail is conducted through Amazon. This makes Amazon the fifth biggest retailer in the UK, just behind the big supermarkets. The point is that, now we know Amazon is moving into the tyre space, anything that is happening in the US has resonance in the UK market as well.
The MIDaS3 B2B e-commerce platform is being launched by CAM. According to the company, it will enable retailers to interact with dealers more effectively online by delivering stock to all their digital devices including mobile, tablet and PC.
Michelin’s social media influence continues to lead the pack in the UK, according to our latest social media influence for companies operating social media networks for the local markets. And what’s more, the entire top three on this year’s table is the same as it was in 2017 – meaning Continental retains second place and Dunlop keeps third.
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