Following last year’s establishment of CTS Group, and building on recent growth in Sweden and Northern Finland, CTS’ Finland company (Lapin Kumi) has opened two new tyre shops in the Helsinki region. The two new Helsinki centres are located in Vuosaari harbour and Espoo Juvanmalmi.
The UK Spring Statement 2025, delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on 26 March 2025 included a number of features that indirectly influence tyre retailers and garages. Here’s an overview of those features as well as comment from representatives from leading retailers – such as Point S.
Lowe’s, the world’s second-largest home improvement retailer, last week unveiled lowestires.com in partnership with Treadsy, which was founded and is led tyre industry entrepreneur Mike Welch. The launch, celebrated after three and a half years of collaborative development, targets Lowe’s Pro customer base – contractors, tradespeople, and small fleet operators – by offering “a seamless, nationwide tyre-buying experience”.
Since Tyres & Accessories broke the news that ATS Euromaster is closing 86 branches across the country, details have emerged relating to how leading tyre retail chains are seeking to employ staff from amongst the roughly 400 believed to be affected by the closures. As well as repeated social media posts from human resources personnel at Kwik-Fit’s parent company ETEL, multiple local news sources report that Halfords executives have made an open offer for interviews to ex-ATS Euromaster staff.
Following a pilot, ATS Euromaster has expanded the reach of its Business Club to “benefit thousands of members as SMEs tune in to an offer tailored around their needs…”. ATS Business Club is aimed at any business running 30 or fewer vans or cars on its fleet. Typical members are delivery drivers, couriers, painters and decorators, plumbers, carpenters and general tradespeople. There are two levels of membership available: Business Club or Business Club+.
On 7 March, Formula One Autocentres announced that it had opened a new location in Burnley. Alongside our tyres and car servicing the Burnley centre offers “exhausts, batteries, brakes, suspension, clutches, air conditioning, puncture repair and wheel alignment”. The latest opening means Formula one now has a total of 133 centres across the UK. Across all those branches, Formula One Autocentres reports that it fits half a million tyres a year.
Point S has set its sights on becoming the largest automotive service network in the UK within the next ten years. Referencing the ongoing contraction of retail outlets, exemplified by ATS Euromaster’s plans to close more than 80 branches reported by Tyrepress in February and currently being enacted, the network’s UK managing director Ali Yilmaz said there is now a “fertile planting ground” for growth. Point S unveiled its latest plans during the network’s annual conference on the weekend of 8-9 March, as well as discussing its shorter term goals for 2025; launching new products and continuing its innovation
Richard Hardie Group has opened a new HiQ Tyres & Autocare centre at its Ashington, Northumberland premises. The family-run business, which has been serving motorists in the North East for more than 50 years, reportedly sees this move as “a natural progression in response to evolving automotive customer needs”. The goal is to offer “a complete combination of vehicle sales and autocare for customers under one roof while also expanding its service offerings”.
JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., has inaugurated a new JK Truck Wheels Centre in Gandhidham. Operated by Aadinath Tyres, the facility was inaugurated by Anshuman Singhania, managing director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., reaffirming the company’s dedication to delivering premium products and services to the commercial vehicle sector.
Shaun Sweeney and Nick Salt have been promoted to First Stop National Franchise Manager UK & Ireland and UK Territory Manager respectively. Meanwhile, Damian Cleaver has been appointed as Business Development Manager for Wales and the South West, having previously worked as Area Manager at ETB Autocentres.
Jet Wheel Tyre reports more than 100 new business leads per month after working Auto3iii’s electronic vehicle health check technology. In other words, Essex-based Jet Wheel Tyre says it has transformed its operations since adopting Auto3iii’s unique eVHC solution, which they have adopted for their Benfleet workshop for tyres, brakes, and TPMS sensor health checks. Since implementing the system in November 2024, the workshop has generated around 300 new leads, with over 100 secured in January alone.
Following the news in September 2024 that HiQ Tyres & Autocare and Carsa are cooperating, they are expanding their strategic partnership with the opening of two new autocare centres in Greater Manchester and Leicestershire. The two new centres in Bolton and Mountsorrel aren’t the end of it either, with more locations “already in the pipeline”.
Garages have reported that reviews shown on Google business profiles have been going unexpectedly missing. However, Garage Services Online (GSO), an online lead generating service for garages, reports the reviews are now beginning to reappear and suggests the issue was likely caused by two separate problems at Google. “Thousands” of garages are said to have been affected.
HiQ Tyres & Autocare reports that it recently hosted its first-ever ‘HiQ Apprentice Day’ in order to “…inspire and equip them with the skills, knowledge, and connections necessary to thrive in their careers working in the automotive industry”.
HiQ Tyres & Autocare has opened a new vehicle service centre in Lincoln. Based at the local Pioneer Business Park, it offers a full range of automotive services including: MOTs, tyre replacement, vehicle servicing and wheel alignment.
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Point S
