FOREST CITY, N.Y. (May 22, 2013) — Kost Tire & Auto Care Centers has selected 50 Below's Retailer First dealer website solution.
50 Below is a subsidiary of ARI Network Services, a provider of website, software and data solutions for tire dealers, distributors and manufacturers.
According to ARI, Forest City-based Kost Tire identified the need for a new retail website that would support the dealership's growth strategy by increasing online quote and service requests.
"Since 1938, our growth has been driven by a commitment to customer service and putting industry-leading technology to work in our business. We chose 50 Below/ARI because their focus on customer service and dealer websites will help Kost service and sell more product in-store and online," said Christopher MacNeil, Kost's manager of website, Internet and social media, in an ARI press release.
"ARI has a proven commitment to the automotive tire and wheel industry and its dealers, and it shows. To stay in front of our competition, we needed a website that not only supported our business model and goals, but provided visitors with the ability to quickly find the product they were looking for," Mr. MacNeil added. "Since deploying our new 50 Below website, we've increased weekly quote and service requests by 275 percent."
With its new 50 Below website, ARI said that Kost Tire "can handle all online requests as quickly as if the customer was in their brick-and-mortar store. The added functionality also allows consumers to easily find the closest Kost location, use a tire fitment guide to research and find the correct tire for their vehicle, view a library of service videos, and request a quote or schedule a service appointment."
Roy W. Olivier, CEO and president of ARI, said the company's goal "is to provide dealers with website and eCatalog solutions that help them increase sales, generate leads and meet consumers' ever-growing demand for instant access to information."
ARI said its software-as-a-service and data-as-a-service solutions are in use by more than 2,100 independent automotive tire and wheel dealers spanning over 3,400 retail locations.
Founded by Mike Kost Sr. in 1938, Kost Tire is a family-owned business that operates 53 stores throughout upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania.