PITTSBURGH—Online used tire retailer Champtires.com recently opened a second retail tire store in the Pittsburgh market.
The company also operates a store at its West Mifflin, Pa., headquarters and warehouse.
Champtires.com was founded in 2009 as an e-commerce retailer offering used tires. Two years later, it added retail and installation options for Pittsburgh-area customers.
“Opening the Washington Boulevard store will let us easily offer different tire options for Pittsburgh drivers,” said Brad Rea, owner and president of Champtires.com. “We have attracted drivers from across the region to our West Mifflin location, and the new store will just make it more convenient for customers in the East End and northern suburbs.”
The Washington Boulevard location created three full-time jobs: one manager and two customer service positions, according to the company.
Champtires.com held a grand opening celebration at the new location in July.
In 2011 Champtires.com had opened a retail store near its warehouse in Chicago but both locations have since been divested, according to a company spokesperson. The retailer now operates one warehouse in West Mifflin and is looking to open additional retail stores in the future, she said.
About 40 percent of Champ-tires.com's business comes from local sales. Mr. Rea said that while he expects that ratio to increase, the company remains focused on selling tires online.
Used tires comprise 80 percent of the firm's tires sales and 20 percent are new tires—with all brands of new tires offered, the spokesperson said.
Champtires.com said it has about 10,000 used tires in its inventory at any time, allowing the company to match brand names and tread levels to drivers' existing tires when they need to only replace one or two on their vehicle.
“We air test and inspect every tire that enters our warehouse,” Mr. Rea said. “Buying premium used tires is a cost-effective and safe option for drivers.”