News articles on the tyre retail business
Over the past twenty five years, Southampton based Supertracker has built up a reputation as one of the UK's leading wheel alignment specialists, and although the company has never expanded into Continental Europe it does have a rather unusual and successful association with Africa.
For the first time in two and a half years the general UK retail performance has improved. However, unless something changes the second quarter of 2013 is set to “flat line”, according to the Retail Think Tank.
Following its quarterly meeting in April, the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank (RTT) reported that the downward trajectory that has plagued UK retail since the start of 2011 finally turned around in quarter one of 2013, although a significant increase in the health of UK retailing is unlikely to arrive any time soon. The RTT’s Retail Health Index improved one point to 77 points, thanks to a marginal lift in demand, which would have been better still had it not been for the prolonged extension of wintry weather throughout the whole quarter.
The latest in a succession of leaders at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, Erich Fric brings with him an easy-going, but teutonic clarity into his (relatively) new role of Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director. Almost a year after news of the appointment was released, Tyres & Accessories visited the company headquarters in mid-April for the MD’s first published interview in his current role where he shared his views on the British tyre market and recent corporate criticism of the companies EMEA region.
Ian Stuart is to retire at the end of May 2013 after seven years as group managing director of ATS Euromaster, the UK’s largest comprehensive tyre specialist. He will be replaced by Peter Allen, who is currently commercial director of Michelin Canada.
It seems being spoiled for choice may also spoil our chances of receiving the tyre service we want, when we want it. Michelin’s head of Fleet, Dave Crinson, opines that a wholesale shift in the way drivers view tyre appointments needs to occur due to the number of tyres now available on the market. This diversity means drivers who arrive unannounced at fast-fit suppliers may end up with a second or third choice tyre, or may be required to return at a later date.
The Petrol Retailers’ Association (PRA) has submitted evidence to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) on the state of the UK retail fuels sector. The Parliamentary BIS Select Committee recently launched an inquiry into the UK retail market to question the effects regulations and costs have on the sector.
According to a forecast published by IHS Global Insight in April, Russia’s premium car segment is expected to grow 5.2 per cent this year and 8.5 per cent in 2014. Pirelli focuses its strategy on this segment and therefore views Russia as a key market. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, the Italian tyre maker will soon begin construction work on its first flagship ‘PZero Platinum’ tyre shop within the country.
Dutch wholesaler Heuver Tyrewholesale has appointed Dewy Mulder its new marketing manager. She succeeds Maureen Voortman in this role following Voortman’s promotion within the company. In her new role, Mulder takes on marketing responsibility for both Heuver’s wholesale business and the company’s Profile Tyrecenter retail outlets.
In an interview with German Euro am Sonntag news source, Continental AG CFO Wolfgang Schaefer said he expected the company to report first quarter results "slightly worse" than anticipated. In March, the company said it estimates first-quarter sales to decline by between 1 and 3 per cent on the year, with roughly flat margin. However, during the interview Schaefer admitted missing the 1 to 3 per cent mark.
During the course of 2012, Continental expanded its retail network in China by some two-thirds, and this year it looks to grow by a further 40 per cent. Beijing-based publication China Daily reports Jay Dhillon, general manager of Continental Tires China, as calling 2012 the company’s “most successful year” in terms of its retail operation. He shared that 1,000 new authorised franchised shops were added to Continental’s network, giving it a total of 2,500.
In the future 81 per cent of the UK population will be living in urban areas. There will be 200 million connected devices and one in four British citizens will be shopping online – the highest number in the world, per capita. The over 65s will represent a fifth of the population. The country’s South East region will grow to become the second largest region after London, accounting for 15.3 per cent of total GDP. That’s all if Frost & Sullivan’s 'New Mega Trends in the UK' analysis, which looks forward to 2025, turns out to be correct. However, even if there are only half right the flavor of what might take place in the next year if of interest to all sectors of the industry.
According to the results of J.D. Power Asia Pacific’s 13th annual study into original equipment tyres in the Indian market, customer satisfaction has slightly risen in this past year. The 2013 India Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study measured satisfaction towards original equipment tyres during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. Four factors – appearance, durability, traction/handling and ride – were measured, with points awarded according to level of satisfaction in each category. The potential maximum total score was 1,000 points.
On the first day of April, Toyo Tire & Rubber established a wholly-owned affiliate in Thailand, Toyo Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd. The operation is responsible for selling original equipment and aftermarket sales in this Southeast Asian country; original equipment business is scheduled to begin in April, while the affiliate is expected to begin its aftermarket activities in July. The operation employs 11 staff and is headed up by Kanji Kasai as managing director. Kasai also serves as general manager of Toyo Tire & Rubber’s Asia Oceania business unit.
New car sales figures, released today, show month on month sales were up 5.9 per cent compared to March 2012. Fleet registrations increased by 3.7 per cent last month whilst private registrations increased by 7.8 per cent. The car industry received the news very positively, but market analysts were more cautious. In any case increased registrations are good news for the tyre business albeit in the medium to long term.
Huw Lewis Tyres, a family run tyre dealer with three sites in and around Aberystwyth, became the first independent tyre dealer to sign a long term contract with Michelin in March. The agreement follows a partnership begun in the second half of 2012 with ATS Euromaster, for whose fleet customers Huw Lewis Tyres provides local services. From the acquisition of the former ATS Euromaster Aberystwyth site in 2009, the tyre retailer has since expanded to three sites with Lampeter and Machynlleth run by Lewis’s two sons – all this merely seven years after Huw started his business.
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