Crain News Service report
BIRMINGHAM, England (Dec. 13, 2013) — ATS Euromaster Ltd., the British tire and fast-fit company, has reported a seven-fold increase in sales of cold weather tires since the beginning of November.
The company said it expects its total cold weather tire sales to exceed $16.52 million in 2013.
Demand for winter rubber on cars and vans—which provide enhanced mobility and safety when temperatures drop below 7°C—saw ATS Euromaster's cold weather tire sales increase by 14 percent in 2012 compared with the previous year, and the tire retailer said this year is on track for further double-digit growth.
Peter Fairlie, ATS Euromaster's group sales director, said this is because more businesses are seeing the benefits of fitting seasonal tires in response to the growing trend for prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, ice and snowfall in the United Kingdom.
A large share of ATS Euromaster's cold weather tire stock is allocated to fleets that pre-order tires to guarantee supply, but the tire expert still has winter fitments available in the majority of common car and van sizes, and with a choice of premium, mid-range and budget brands.
Birmingham-based ATS Euromaster is part of the Euromaster Group, which operates in 17 European countries with 11,271 employees in more than 2,000 service centers.
Established in 1965, ATS Euromaster has approximately 350 centers (a mixture of retail, comprehensive and truck locations), approximately 900 mobile service vans and employs more than 2,600 people, providing coverage nationwide.
This report appeared in European Rubber Journal Report, a UK-based sister publication of Tire Business.