AKRON — With about 80 percent of consumers researching tire purchases online — and a growing percentage of consumers buying tires on the web — it is important for tire dealerships to sell tires and installation services on the Internet, according to eBay Motor's director of parts and accessories, Marie Niewiroski.
In a webinar — "5 Tips to Growing Your Online Tire Sales" — broadcast Sept. 25 as part of the Tire Business Educates Live Online Conference, Ms. Niewiroski said it is important for independent dealers to have an online presence in order to grow their businesses.
About 12 percent of consumers who research prices, features and ratings of tire brands online end up purchasing on the web, she said.
"We're seeing huge growth in this as well, the shift from offline to online sales," she said. "We're seeing growth rates of 20 percent year over year. It's definitely starting to explode.
"Although tires is one of the last industries to join the trend of online sales,…we are seeing that the trend is growing quite a bit."