News articles on the tyre retail business
HiQ has hired property agent CPBigwood to identify new sites as it seeks to increase its number of branches. HiQ retail director Farrell Dolan told Tyrepress: “Our growth plans for our network are ambitious, but we are in the process of developing a new retail model that will make it easier for prospective franchisees to join the HiQ network.”
The influence online tyre retailing is growing so fast that 20 per cent of Europe tyres sales could take place online by 2020. That’s the view of market analysts at Frost & Sullivan, which also reports that the influence of the internet on the auto industry can be seen in the continuous growth of the eRetailing market for automotive parts in general. According to the analysts, eRetailing of automotive components has given aftermarket participants a fresh boost and presents a new sales channel dynamic enough to be in sync with evolving macro-economic conditions and also flexible enough to address customer needs by offering a personalized shopping experience.
Continental Tyre South Africa announced the appointment of Niel Langner as marketing manager; Jiminy-Ann Knoetze Bosman as public relations and communications manager; and Morris Naiker as national sales manager on 14 May 2014. The move is being described as a set of strategic appointments designed to strengthen the firm’s tyre sales position in the country.
SE Tyres is to introduce software developer CAM’s Online Tyre Catalogue (OTC) into its fast fit centres network. The system is designed to simplify stock profiling and product management, increasing accuracy and enhancing the presentation of tyre data to consumers.
As Cooper Tire & Rubber enters its centennial year, the US tyre maker has reported first quarter operating profit slightly below the record result achieved last year. On the back of net sales of US$796 million, 7.5 per cent lower than a year earlier, Cooper achieved a quarter operating profit of $81 million, 16.5 per cent down on the first quarter 2013 operating profit, which was the highest ever in the company’s 100-year history. Operating profit was 10.2 per cent of net sales. The company reported net income attributable to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of $0.71 per share, or $45 million, in the first quarter. This compares with $56 million, or $0.87 per share, for the same period last year.
Further to the Heads of Agreement signed last October, Kumho Tyre (UK) and Micheldever Tyre Services have announced their agreement to a new three-year contract with immediate effect. The contract confirms that MTS will continue to support and grow the existing Kumho Ecsta Performance Centre (EPC) network of independent retailers. In turn, Kumho will build and serve a complementary network of EPCs via its new warehouse facility in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Both networks will operate on a common platform based on the long-standing approach.
There’ll be room on top at Continental’s Reifen 2014 stand. The German tyre maker will make itself at home with a double-decker show stand in Hall 3.0 (Stand 3A36), and present its Continental, Uniroyal, Semperit, Barum and Matador-brand products on a floorspace of approximately 450 square metres.
This year’s National Tyre Distributors Association’s annual dinner is the 85th holding of the event. While bearing a new name – what the industry has long known as the TAFF Awards has been rebranded as the Tyre Industry Awards – the dinner remains the UK industry’s main social event. Today, Pirelli announced it will sponsor the ‘Tyre Retail Centre of the Year’ award category. The award will be handed out at the annual NTDA dinner and prize-giving ceremony in Manchester on 8 October.
The point S retail network will be represented at Reifen 2014 by point S Development and the company’s German operation, point S Deutschland GmbH, which promises an “open and communicatively designed” exhibition stand. Gaining a prominent position on the stand (Hall 3.0, Stand 3B38) will be new products from the company’s own private brand, including the Summerstar Sport 3, which will enjoy its world premiere at Reifen, and the Summerstar 3. “With our strong Summerstar and Winterstar brands we have available an exclusive, profit-yielding product for our dealers,” commented Alfred Wolff, joint managing director of point S Deutschland GmbH.
Giti Tire has appointed Lorna Craig as its retail network development manager. The position has been created with a brief to develop further the GT Radial Performance Centre (GTPC) programme in the UK. Craig, formerly a brand manager with GT Radial distributor Micheldever, will work in partnership with the wholesaler to achieve this goal.
As the May issue of Tyres & Accessories went to press, the government shared details of how its Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is going to spend its £500 million funding allowance. For its part, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) duly welcomed the half a billion pound funding boost for low emission vehicles, characterising the move as part of a wider campaign to make the UK “a leader in the development and take-up of low emission vehicles”. Clearly this is on the political and commercial agendas (at least as far as the automotive manufacturers are concerned), but what does this all mean for the tyre business in general? And, with this year’s Tyre Retail feature published from page 26 of this issue, what does this mean for garages and tyre retail in particular?
An individual company has no say over the economy, nor can it order the weather conditions that best suit its requirements. But it can adapt to these variables, and prosper. Although the past year was a challenging one for tyre wholesalers in Europe, Netherlands-based wholesaler Van den Ban Autobanden B.V. has continued to invest time and resources in projects that will help it move forward in the current environment. Commercial manager Cyril Versteeg and Leonie de Wit of the marketing department recently shared details of these developments with Tyres & Accessories.
Continuing our coverage of developments in the UK tyre retail sector, Tyres & Accessories reports on the following 15 companies in its 2014 top 20 leading UK tyre retailers report. After the market leading five, the next five companies in the top 20 are the fastest growing in our ranking, and probably in the market as a whole. Like Micheldever/Protyre, McConechy’s Tyre Service has grown significantly since our last survey, adding seven branches to its number and pushing its total up to 52. This brings the company’s total back to pre-recessionary levels and could be read as another indication of improving conditions in the market.
Automotive industry charity BEN is celebrating the success of its 16th BEN Scotland Ball, held at the Crowne Plaza, Glasgow, which raised a total of £8,900 on the night.
Continued branch attrition at some of Britain’s largest tyre retail chains means the line between the top five and the rest of the top 10 has continued to blur. Furthermore, we now have three 50+ branch retail chains outside the top four (which are all 100+) for the first time since Tyres & Accessories started tracking this data five years ago.
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