Online sales, services may offer tire dealers best opportunities for growth

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."

Niewiroski

To help dealers transition from traditional sales to online sales, Ms. Niewiroski offered five tips:

  • Offer a wide spectrum of tires, from Tier 1 to Tier 4 brands;

  • Seize the retail moment, such as promoting seasonal sales, special packages, coupons and rebates;

  • Optimize your listings by offering fast and free shipping and pricing sets of two or four tires;

  • Expand your reach by selling tires on multiple online channels, such as eBay, Amazon and other marketplaces.

  • Provide convenience by offering installation with the online tire purchase so the consumer can pay for everything up-front.

"Research has shown that from shifting offline to adding online, you can increase your sales alone by 10 percent," she said.

She also encouraged dealers to think beyond a single website when it comes to selling tires and services on the web. Doing so can have exponential impact on the success they see.

"So this, again, is your own online presence, but when you add on one marketplace, you will increase online sales by 38 percent; in two marketplaces, up to 120 percent increase in sales," she said.

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