e-commerce and online tyre business news
Halfords Group reports that its Avayler software is not only driving the group’s internal financial performance, but is also expanding into Europe as a product in its own right. Specifically, Halfords reports that Avayler has signed a contract to supply its services to well-known German autocentre chain ATU, which is part of the Mobivia group. According to Halfords, the roll-out is set to start in Germany through ATU’s mobile fleet.
Anyline has launched a tyre tread scanning mobile phone app that works “on any camera-enabled smartphone or mobile device”. The company expects the software solution to “revolutionize the automotive industry”. The product is being unveiled at the SEMA Show 2022 in Las Vegas.
Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) reports that it is continuing to invest in e-commerce solutions that benefit their tyre retailer network, with its dedicated tyre selling website, TyreClick, providing a “key platform for online success”. MTS investments include development of the TyreClick site and investment in third-party expertise, such as Strategic Q, to help enhance Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
In its own words, Research Tools, based in based Esslingen am Neckar near Stuttgart, specializes in marketing analysis/market research. The company recently examined the performance of 100 tyre brands on the leading social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube in cooperation with VICO Research & Consulting. The study covers the period from 2 June 2021 to 1 June 2022.
Tyres have always been a highly technological product, but the influence of technology in the distribution and retail parts of the business hasn’t always moved at the same pace. Recent years, however, have seen the role of Internet and e-commerce take-off. That progress was compounded during the last couple of years of pandemic-related lockdowns. Now, as workers at one of the UK’s leading tyre retail chains recently told us, online orders and bookings account for the lion’s share of business. Indeed, those particular staff members reported that online orders make up as much as 90 per cent of the business they deal with each working day. With that in mind, in October’s magazine, Tyres & Accessories takes a closer look at the Digital Tyre Business, which for the purposes of that feature includes the e-commerce, e-tail and stock management parts of the tyre business.
For more relating to the online tyre business, look out for the Digital Tyre Business feature in the October 2022 edition Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one.
In July, TyreSafe held its first post-lockdown in-person day conference and awards event. More recently the NTDA named the winners at its annual Tyre Industry Awards event. And our sister publication WhatTyre.com has also published names of the winners of its 2022 WhatTyre Tyre of the Year awards. What these three things have in common is that they all aim to give credit where credit is due. They all aim to reward success.
Following the agreement between Mobile IT Apps and French software company EDP, the integration of e-jobsheet via the TiDaeX platform into EDP’s TSC and affiliated software modules is well underway with testing anticipated by November 2022.
New connected vehicle technology will help fleet improve tyre management after a 33 per cent increase in prices during the last two years, new research from epyx shows. Matt Waller, director of connected car at epyx’s parent company, Fleetcor, said that spiralling costs meant that both the monitoring of tyre performance in real time and prediction of future wear were becoming essential to controlling costs.
BitcoinRacing was formed with the stated aim speeding up the adoption of Bitcoin as an everyday currency. Writing at the start of the year, company representatives explained that the plan is to achieve that end “by travelling 5000 miles across the UK in 2022 with an HGV transporter decorated in Bitcoin decals and entering four race cars into the Nankang City Car Cup…” That, they continued, will make the team a “mobile advertisement for Bitcoin”.
Tyrenet its pitched as the “’go to’ tyre emergency service” for many tyre dealers and fleets all over the UK and increasingly in Europe. In 2021, the introduction of Tyrenet’s on-line tyre ordering solution meant it could provide a service for the public as well as commercial fleets that didn’t have an account or contract with a local tyre dealer.
Prinx Chengshan and leading Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com have reached a strategic cooperation agreement. The deal will see JD.com’s automotive department distribute Prinx brand electric vehicle tyres, a new product launched by Prinx Chengshan in 2022, amongst other things.
Independent garages are embracing online parts supply in greater numbers as they look to access a wider range of available products from leading brands, according to one online automotive parts distributor. PartsInMotion.co.uk says that garages are “switching on” in greater numbers and accessing high quality parts online from distributors instead of, for example, going to the dealership. Demand for quality braking, clutch, steering and suspension as well as exhaust systems are said to be particularly high.
Imagine technology that literally reads tyre sidewalls for you. Not barcodes. Not RFID chips, but the actual sidewall. Did I mention that it can read driving licences, number plates and VIN numbers as well? A system like this could help with every part of the distribution chain: from manufacturing to distribution and especially in retail and with fleets. That’s exactly what the Anyline system does. Tyres & Accessories experienced an in-person demonstration of the system at May’s Tire Cologne exhibition in Germany.
An ice cream van was parked in front of the door when Tyres & Accessories visited Direct Tyre Management’s (DTM) new Blackpool headquarters in mid-May. At the same time, staff were presented with sticks of rock, buckets and spades and were enjoying food together. The reason? The DTM team were celebrating the official opening of the company’s Blackpool HQ and executives were welcoming staff to the new location a few miles up the road from the previous offices in Skelmersdale. Beyond the team-building benefits of the celebrations, the relocation itself illustrates how DTM has developed from a niche player into a fast-growing digital fleet technology business. Tyres & Accessories met with chief technology officer Dominic Clark and sales manager Simon Makin in order to find out more.
CAM has appointed Mark Styles to its board of directors. Styles brings with him 20 years’ experience in a global tyre network and “his ecommerce skills are second to none”, according to CAM. Commenting on the appointment, Mike Allen, managing director of CAM said: “[Mark’s] expertise and innovation will be instrumental in helping us deliver our exciting new portfolio of online sales products.”
Anyline
MTS
Tracy Le Blanc; Pexels
Glen Carstens-Peters; Unsplas
CAM
epyx
BitcoinRacing
Tyrenet
Prinx Chengshan
PartsInMotion.co.uk
Tyre Industry Publications Ltd
Tyre Industry Publication Ltd
CAM