News articles on the tyre retail business
Grouptyre’s top independent customers claimed a trip to New York City in early December as part of the 2013 Grouptyre Rewards programme. The dealers earned a place for themselves and a partner by purchasing volumes of exclusive brands Evergreen, Federal and Goodride tyres from the wholesaler during 2013.
Just a week after being named Tyre Retailer of the Year at the TyreSafe Awards, Micheldever Tyre Services Limited and its retail arm Protyre, have picked up two more industry awards. This time for customer service and staff training. Both awards were judged by an independent panel of experts organised by Training Journal magazine. Nominations came from all sectors of UK industry. According to the company, Training Journal is the UK’s leading training publications and their annual awards. The scheme attracts entries from major and international companies and this year submissions were up by 30 per cent.
ATS Euromaster has introduced a £1 mobile tyre fitting service on the back of increased demand. The tyre specialist says that longer working hours during the week are a contributing factor to drivers putting off fitting new tyres, making the option of booking a tyre change at the office an attractive proposition. ATS-E said that its market research suggests growth in this service is sustainable, as customers often move permanently to the convenience of such a service.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint made against Halfords Autocentres Ltd. The website www.halfords.com featured information about their MoT services and included the text “MoTs NOW ONLY £29.95 RRP £54.85”. The complainant challenged whether the £54.85 recommended retail price detailed in the ad was misleading, because they understood this was the maximum allowable charge for an MOT and not an RRP.
Michelin North America will soon begin recalling around 1.3 million light commercial vehicle tyres. The tyre maker says the recall of certain Michelin LTX M/S fitments was decided upon as due to the increasing number of tread loss and/or rapid air loss incidents reports it has received. The recall is expected to begin on 6 January 2014.
For Italy’s Marangoni Group, the decision about the future of its new tyre production plant in Anagni (near Rome) and its 400 employees was not an easy one to reach. Yet after many years of losses running into the millions and no prospect of this improving in the future, in September the company penned the final chapter on its almost quarter-century long engagement in new tyre production – and despite the difficult nature of this decision it comes as a weight off the shoulders for Marangoni’s management, and they are sanguine about devoting all their attention to the core retreading business in future and making strategic investments there. Speaking with Tyres & Accessories, Marangoni CEO Massimo De Alessandri explains what factors went into making the decision, which mistakes were made in the past, why the foray into new tyre production was understandable but – in hindsight –perhaps inadvisable, and what the Marangoni Group now plans going forward.
“As Australia’s largest supermarkets cease making fuel offers after a watchdog deems that offering customers discounted petrol is a threat to competition, it is imperative that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) re-open their investigation into the UK fuel market” said Brian Madderson, Petrol Retailers’ Association Chairman.
There are already signs that European tyre labelling is having an effect on the purchasing decisions of consumers, that’s the view of Continental representatives shared at the company at its recent annual trends briefing in London. Conti’s reading of market response to labelling follows a number of different view proffered by other manufacturer, supplier and retail sources. So far much of the data has suggested that the label is unused or unoffered and so therefore doesn’t have much influence.
Giti Tire has moved its UK headquarters to new 3,000 square foot offices in Northwich, Cheshire in a move the company described as preparation for “British and pan-European expansion”. According to company, representatives, the new facility will house the passenger car, SUV and light truck (PCR) and commercial truck and bus (TBR) operations across the three main brands, GT Radial, Primewell and Runway.
Singapore-based Stamford Tyres has posted a S$4.85 million (£2.36 million) profit in the second quarter of its current financial year, a marked contrast to the $2.97 million loss reported a year earlier. Revenue for the three months to 31 October 2013 amounted to $71.5 million (£34.8 million), down 12.1 per cent year-on-year. The company says the lower revenues are mainly attributable to weaker export sales of Sumo Firenza tyres and mining tyres.
Be-whiskered staff from automotive and cycle retailer Halfords have helped the company take the title for the most participants in Movember of any firm in Europe.
At the same time as making its initial public appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Dunlop Enasave 100 – the world’s first tyre entirely made from fossil-free materials – has gone on sale in Japan. Sumitomo Rubber Industries shares that the Enasave 100 came onto the market on 22 November; it is initially available in size 195/65R15 91H at a listed retail price of ¥21,105 (£126.50).
Sales of locally-produced Continental run-flat tyres will reportedly begin in China before the end of this year. Quoting Jay Dhillon, general manager of Continental Tires China, the China Daily wrote on 28 November that annual output of these products will reach 340,000 units next year and 510,000 units in 2015. Hefei is the fourth Continental plant to begin run-flat production, after Aachen (Germany), Port Elizabeth (South Africa) and Mount Vernon (USA).
Ibstock’s Jeff Fowkes Wheels has been rewarded for “an amazing level of effort to raise awareness about tyre safety issues” with the inaugural TyreSafe Independent Garage Award. TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson presented Grace Fowkes from the family run Leicestershire business with the award at a prestigious luncheon.
AME International introduced its 2014 Tool and Equipment Catalogue during this year’s SEMA show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center 5-8 November. The new AME 2014 catalogue purportedly showcases the company’s expanded range of tyre and wheel service products used around the world by retail, commercial and OTR tyre dealers.
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