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At the same time that the coronavirus lockdown closed car showrooms, the UK new car market fell 89 per cent in May, with just over 20,000 vehicles delivered. However, the adoption of ‘click and collect’-style online ordering was one ray of light. Still, according to the SMMT data, in May 2020 the overall UK new car market was 163,477 units behind the same month last year. And therefore, the market is down more than 51 per cent in the first five months.
Prometeon Tyre Group has appointed Ali Yilmaz as marketing manager for the UK, Eire and Nordic countries. In this new position, he will report to Peter Fairlie, managing director, and will lead the company’s UK marketing team.
Ring Automotive has taken steps to keep the supply chain moving safely and has now fully opened its warehouse with greater capacity than before to continue to support customers, the transport industry and key workers.
Clear International analysts are warning that, while trailer production has restarted, second-quarter demand is likely to be 44 per cent down. At the same time, the analysts report that European countries are likely to suffer gross domestic product (GDP) drops of up to 10 per cent in 2020. The conclusions are based on the facts that, since Clear International’s last report in February, all West European countries have had their forecasts for 2020 economic growth downgraded again. All forecasts now show negative GDP growth of between -6% and -10% in 2020 with every country in recession during this year.
Last month this column considered the range of 2020 market projections that existed. In short, as the column concluded, the consensus is that tyre demand will decline somewhere between 15 and 26 per cent during the course of this year. However, such a conclusion may also be on the conservative side. Certainly, when you talk with tyre wholesalers and distributors on the ground, some of those that didn’t opt to close their doors for a few weeks experienced even more marked declines in the short-term. Reports of tyre shops running on demand 70 to 75 per cent less than pre-lockdown levels are not uncommon. And yet, as lockdown eases across various UK and European markets – as well as beyond – the focus is quite rightly shifting to recovery.
During our recent “Kickstarting your tyre business webinar”, the panel shared lockdown stories of how they have survived and even experienced success during these difficult times. For his part, Graham Mitchell, wholesale director of Micheldever Tyre Services, shared details of how his company moved from its role as a leading wholesaler to a more support-orientated position. For those pivoting into this new role during lockdown, far from having less to do, this meant being even busier than normal despite wholesale volumes dropping to 25 per cent of normal levels during the depths of lockdown (levels are much more normal now, however).
Tyre distributors from across the country have come together to support the restarting of the tyre trade. Large and small retailers from St Helens to the South East worked together to produce the inaugural Tyrepress webinar entitled “Kick-starting your tyre business’.
Specialist tyre manufacture GRI says it is poised to meet the challenges of its new Covid-secure working environs by “continuing to make safety its utmost priority”.
The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company is partnering with Enovos to build two photovoltaic power stations at Goodyear’s testing facilities in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg.
Kerr’s Tyres & Auto, one of Northern Ireland’s leading suppliers of tyres and automotive services, has secured a half-million pound loan from Ulster Bank to support it through the coronavirus crisis. It has been delivered through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
One of Bridgestone’s largest European Bandag franchisees, Top Treads, stayed open during the current pandemic in order “to support our customers, changing working practices” while also “implementing social distancing”, according to Top Treads’ owner and managing director Steve Evans. Moving forward, the firm’s faith in its sustainable retread products is beginning to reap dividends in the demanding commercial tyre market.
Since the beginning of the current global crisis, Camso has adjusted its Solideal On-Site (SOS) processes to offer contactless on-site procedures for forklift tyre replacement.
Prometeon Tyre Group is donating one euro for each tyre sold in Europe in May to the International Committee of the Red Cross’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its Together initiative, Prometeon has invited suppliers, customers and its staff to donate as well. Furthermore, Prometeon will match its suppliers’ contributions.
A survey among of over 900 decision-makers within UK businesses has found that: 57 per cent of UK private sector organisations are considering expansion into new global markets in the near future as a result of COVID-19. The research, commissioned by One World Express, also found that 45 per cent of businesses say the pandemic has made them realise they are overly reliant on one market. At the same time, 44 per cent are looking to expand into markets outside of the Single Market due to Brexit.
Bandvulc, a Continental Tyres subsidiary is the preferred choice for leading contract hire and fleet management company, Specialist Fleet Services (SFS). Indeed, SFS, a leading contract hire and fleet management supplier to local authorities across the UK, is seeing its relationship with Teignbridge District Council move into an 18th year, something the companies credit in part to the tyre supply and management contract with Bandvulc.
