eBay France partners with Feu Vert to fit tyres bought online

eBay France has partnered with the 350-branch strong Feu Vert garage network to fit tyres purchased online. The development was hinted at last year’s Equip Auto show when the head of spare parts and accessories for cars and motorcycles in the French, Spanish and Italian markets, Francesco Faà di Bruno, announced that negotiations were underway. Now, Ebay has confirmed, the agreement is final.

Effective May, eBay customers have been able to buy their tyres online and make an appointment to pick them up and mount them at one of the partner workshops. The service includes the replacement of tyres and inflation valves, balancing, control diagnosis and ELT contribution. Everything is managed directly from the eBay platform, where payment is also made and the appointment is made.

In addition to France, similar services are available in the United States as well as with local partners in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. Blackcircles has been Ebay’s UK fitting partner since 2017.

“Our partnership with Feu Vert is the perfect example of the fact that e-commerce and traditional service provision complement each other. It is proof that e-commerce represents an effective development axis for the traditional channel of workshop networks. eBay in France has seen double-digit sales growth in the ‘tyres and wheels’ category over the past 3 years. We are happy that the collaboration is taking shape in this dynamic market and we welcome Feu Vert’s strategy and experience “, said Francesco Faà di Bruno.

In France, eBay sold 3 million car/motorcycle products to 5 million private customers and 24,000 professionals last year. The tyre is one of the most sought after products on the e-commerce site and, according to a YouGov study, 63 per cent of motorists say they are buying or ready to buy tyres and rims online. 42 per cent of respondents also want to try the fitting service offered by Feu Vert on eBay for about a month and a half.

The French group Feu Vert was founded in 1972 and operates a chain of 450 spare parts, accessories and tyres workshops, present in four states: Portugal, Spain, France and Poland (recently acquired by Norauto). Feu Vert is a subsidiary of Cofidim and has 6,200 employees and 10 million customers.

The reason why the network has decided to work alongside eBay is the possibility of acquiring new customers and developing traffic in its car centres, especially at this time, when it is essential to relaunch activities after the three-month pandemic.

“Our partnership with eBay is part of Feu Vert’s strategy of welcoming motorists through all possible contact points and simplifying their relationship with the car, combining physical proximity and online commerce. This facilitator role took on more significance than ever during the health crisis. This role, therefore, supported by the enhancement of digitalization, is called to further develop to meet the demand of consumers, who are increasingly in a hurry, connected and demanding, “said Christian Lou , chief operating officer of the Feu Vert group.