News articles on the tyre retail business
Amtel-Vredestein N.V. has announced plans to issue credit linked notes (CLN) for 100 million Euros during the first quarter of 2006. The CLN issue will be used to finance the company’s retail expansion and to refinance debt. The term of the security will be four years with a two-year put option. The coupon will be paid twice yearly. According to the company, the issue lead manager is Alfa-Bank, Russia.
GSF Car Parts has announced the official unveiling of its Canterbury branch, which has opened as part of their 2006 expansion drive. This new branch opening is the first of many during 2006 as GSF follows business objectives and targets to grow company operations significantly. The driving ethos behind this expansion is to return benefits from increased ROI and deliver this success directly back to the customer through competitive pricing, high quality products and enhanced customer service.
In response to continued growth in the H/V speed-rated auto tyre segment in the USA, Kelly Tyres is introducing the Navigator Touring Gold in 17 initial sizes. The Navigator Touring Gold is a premium-touring tyre that carries a 60,000-mile tread life limited warranty.
The new tyre’s tread design provides a consistent footprint for a quiet ride and long, even wear. Three-dimensional tread elements near the centre rib in the five-rib tread design help to evacuate water on wet days. An optimised footprint shape distributes pressure to allow more of the tyre to maintain contact with the road at any given time.
Five months after the introduction of Automotive Kitemark system, there are only three accredited workshops for consumers to choose from. So far the British Standards Institute says it has received fewer than 100 applications from the UK’s 25,000 garages.
According to What Car, numerous mystery shop reports have all shown motorists are routinely overcharged, told they need unnecessary work or left with cars in a dangerous, un-roadworthy condition.
Blackcircles.com is to challenge the established fleet market with the launch of its own online fleet service. Recent appointment, Paul Collins, will be responsible for ensuring consistent delivery and on-going innovation by managing Black Circles Fleet.
According to the company, the new service will be available to vehicle fleets of all sizes. Furthermore, blackcircles.com/fleet is said to significantly simplify the purchase process by providing access through a web-based system. Businesses will have their own private area containing all their vehicle details and will be able to make transactions using a unique PIN number.
When the China International Tire Expo (CITExpo) opened its gates for the second time in 2004, it was already considered to be the potential Chinese tyre show of the future. It appears these estimations were well founded now that the third show in December has reached a size, which makes it the biggest show of its kind in East and South-East Asia. CITExpo even had to move into a different venue in order to accommodate its 150 exhibitors. Overall more than 5,800 visitors have registered with the organisers; two thirds came from abroad and the growing number of foreign exhibitors emphasises the increasingly open Chinese tyre market.
To the organisers of the China International Tire Expo the positive developments of the show have been much more than just good luck. “Most industry experts know our exhibition by now,” says Wilko Fong. The managing director of Reliable International Exhibition Services Co., Ltd., the organising company from Beijing, firmly believes that many of the current exhibitors have already taken part in earlier shows as visitors in order to find out how the land lies. Only now this wait-and-see-approach has actually paid off for the Shanghai CITExpo, with the latest event taking place in the Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center in downtown Shanghai.
For Stamford Tyres the Chinese market is not new. There they have a local partner that produces some of Stamford’s private brands such as the Sumo truck tyre. Also, the new PCR private brand “Sumo Akina”, which will be launched by the end of this year, will be manufactured in China. China is becoming more interesting not only as a production base, but also as a potential sales market. China the giant is taking centre-stage for many wholesalers, including Stamford Tyres from Singapore.
The February 2006 issue of US magazine Consumers Digest showcases the best tyres on the market, as rated by the magazine’s editors, and products from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company take top billing in three of the five rated segments. For the “Passenger Car Tyres, All-Season” category, Goodyear’s Assurance was the Premium selection. The Consumers Digest comparison list shows top-rated tyres in Premium, Midrange and Economy segments.
In Australia, Kmart Tyre and Auto Service is to acquire 90 Shell Autoserv and Auto Care branches for an undisclosed fee. Under the agreement, effective from 20 February, Shell Autoserv and Auto Care sites will be progressively rebranded as Kmart Tyre and Auto Service.
Kmart’s owner, Coles Myer, said all current Shell Auto Care and Shell Autoserv employees will be offered a role with KMart Tyre and Auto Service. Kmart Tyre and Auto Service managing director John Sink said the deal makes his company the largest car servicing business in Australia with over 280 stores, many located next to Coles Express Service Stations.
Amtel-Vredestein NV has acquired six multi-brand tyre sales and service centres from the Vils Group in the Perm region of Russia. The company currently operates outlets in and around Moscow. Perm is located approximately 1300 kilometres east of Moscow along the western slope of the Ural Mountains.
In December Japan sold 13.9 per cent more tyres (year-on-year) than it did in the same month in 2004. Recent JATMA figures show that 7.9 per cent of the improvement came from OE sales, with a further 17.5 per cent coming from the replacement market.
Sweeping personnel changes have taken place within Goodyear Dunlop UK’s marketing department which, according to the company, “reflect the progress made to date in developing [our] brand strategies and the future needs of the organisation.”
Lisa Faulkner, previously Goodyear brand manager has been appointed manager motorcycle SBU and Geraldine McGovern, previously Dunlop brand manager, has been appointed E-Business manager. Ron Pike, marketing communications manager, will be responsible for advertising, promotions and sponsorships. All of the new appointments will report to Neil Burrows, marketing director.
Ashford-based independent retailer Commercial Tyres has become the first truck tyre dealer in the UK to pass a series of stringent quality checks laid down by Michelin Tyre plc.
Commercial Tyres, which also operates branches in Aylesford and Crawley, specialises in supplying road transport operators with a full range of tyre services, ranging from fitment through to fleet management.
Reports in the Shanghai Daily say that Bridgestone has opened a 1.6 million Yuan (US$ 198,270) “Car Wing” store in Shanghai. The store covers 789 square metres and is Bridgestone’s largest in China. It is also the first built by the tyre manufacturer, as its other stores were built by dealers.
Leading UK wholesale and retail tyre supplier, Stapletons Tyre Services is mourning the loss of one of its very first employees, Stuart Masson.
Mr Masson sadly passed away peacefully on 29 October at the age of 84 – nine days short of his birthday. Born on November 7, 1920 in Eaton Bray, near Leighton Buzzard, Stuart approached Sydney Stapleton for a job at his new tyre shop on Watford High Street in 1937. At the tender age of 16, Stuart started his career at Stapletons as a clerk.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
