ATS Euromaster has opened a new £350,000 flagship service centre in Wrexham, North Wales. The 7,500sqft centre, located on Mold Road directly opposite Wrexham FC, replaces an existing centre on Dolydd Road. It will support all vehicle types, including cars, vans, trucks, industrial equipment and agricultural machinery.
Apollo Tyres is reporting further inroads into the Kuwait market with the opening up of it first branded retail outlet in the country. The Apollo Zone is designed to provide customers with an enhanced retail experience and a better feel for the brand and products on display, including passenger car, 4×4 and light truck tyres. The new Apollo Zone is located in the up-market Canada Dry Street of Kuwait, and is operated by Federal General Trading & Contracting Co.
Bridgestone is supplying National Tyres’ next generation of automotive apprentices with “tyre toolbags” for a second successive year. The manufacturer says it was keen to support the vocational offering by way of a branded holdall for each learner for another year, containing a wide range of equipment to assist in both the classroom and in-branch, after first hearing about National’s pioneering NVQ level 2 training courses in 2013.
Tyre wholesaler Bond International has increased its direct involvement with the online tyre retail website Tyre Giant (tyregiant.com). Launched in September 2011, Tyre Giant was supplied by Bond from its inception, while the running of the operation was subcontracted to another retailer. Now, Bond has entered into a joint venture with digital marketing company Colewood Internet named Boco Tyres, which has taken over Tyre Giant operations, as well as those of Asda Tyres, the online tyre retail portal of the Big Four supermarket operated using Tyre Giant’s retail system. Boco Tyres has signalled its intentions to grow the online retailer’s penetration with a new price-match guarantee and a plan to grow the network of dealers within the Tyre Giant network. Tyrepress asked current director of Tyre Giant Philip Hankinson about the current plans to increase the online retailer’s business.
MAM Software reports that tyre dealer Paul Jarrold Tyres Ltd has experienced significant growth since using MAM Autopart Tyres, MAM Software’s flagship business management solution for the tyre industry. Paul Jarrold has now extended its operations by purchasing the premises next door as a result of opening new revenue streams and enhancing the customer experience.
Following the news that Blackcircles.com opened its fourth PitStop Click&Fit tyre bay in Glasgow at the end of June, Tyres & Accessories spoke with the company’s founder and managing director Mike Welch in order to find out more about the company’s plans and hints that it is courting investment this year.
Point S used the platform provided by the Reifen show in Essen to promote a new private brand tyre, a new Point S website and, of course, to meet with members and suppliers. Tyres & Accessories met with Fabien Bouquet, deputy managing director of Point S Development as well UK managing director John Cowderoy and network development manager Dean Dyoss to find out more.
A survey of 400 used car buyers by vehicle remarketing company, British Car Auctions (BCA) illustrates how cash-strapped motorists have been coping as the UK slowly climbs out of recession. The research revealed that motorists have been rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty with basic car maintenance jobs, rather than going to a garage or mechanic.
ATS Euromaster’s ISO 9001:2008 quality certificate has been renewed following an independent audit. Retaining the global benchmark status was described as crucial by ATS Euromaster, as many of the largest public sector and private sector fleets view ISO 9001: 2008 as an essential status for suppliers to hold.
ATS Euromaster is investing nearly £1 million in its van MoT facilities to service more light commercial vehicle (LCV) customers An additional 15 centres will offer Class VII MoTs. The service is already available at 49 centres nationwide. ATS Euromaster also offers Class IV MoTs for car-derived vans at 147 of its locations.
Following the publication of our latest coverage of the development of tyre retail business in the UK in the May issue of Tyres & Accessories (see “Mind the gap: UK retailers continue right-sizing” online and in the print edition), it has come to our attention that one company that has grown into a significant position of influence within the market during the last few years was overlooked.
Bridgestone representatives have dismissed reports that the company is considering acquiring up to 500 tyre depots in the UK in a bid to go head-to-head with the leading tyre retailer in the UK, Kwik-Fit. According to the reports, which surfaced over the weekend in The Telegraph, Bridgestone “is seeking to buy eight to 10 regional automotive retail groups within a year and merge them into one brand.”
Following what it describes as “massive growth” in sales of winter tyres over the past three years, ATS Euromaster expects higher demand than ever in 2014. The tyre specialist says it is in talks with fleets about their requirements for winter 2014/15 and is urging customers to place their orders for cold weather tyres sooner rather than later, to avoid missing out.
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.”
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.
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