Navigating a tricky winter tire season

AKRON, Ohio — While most of the country looks for those telltale signs of spring — longer days, blossoming trees, warmer weather — some tire dealers are focused on the next round of ice and snow.

Drivers may wait until the first flurries to think about snow tires, but dealers in colder regions are preparing now for the fall and winter season.

Ongoing supply chain issues make those plans, like it seems everything else, a little more difficult.

The 2021-2022 season came with supply shortages but also lesser demand for winter tires, letting Chris Cornelius, co-owner of Clair & Dee's Point S in Rexburg, Idaho, breathe a sigh of relief.

"Even though it was uncomfortable seeing (the shortage) coming at us, it didn't impact us as hard as we thought it would," he said, adding that they didn't cancel back orders but left them in place, a decision that was hard on cash flow but better for future planning.

"We are going into the non-selling season with a strong inventory. Generally, it'd be a little nervous about that, but under current conditions, having excess inventory is a positive thing," Cornelius added.

He said he doesn't expect those supply chain issues to let up.

"I think coming out of the pandemic, and now in a war-time situation, we're going to see a considerable shift in our go-to-market and how we inventory, how we prepare for the seasons," he said, adding that he can't predict how it will all turn out.

"I do know that if you're a dealer and you're not thinking outside of the box, you're going to get yourself in trouble," he said.

At J&J Point S Tire & Auto in Helena, Mont., availability was an issue, but one they managed to navigate well.

"We were really fortunate this last year," owner Nick Fox said. "We thought it was going to be big issue. But our vendors pulled through. We wholesaled to competitors as well. We had pretty good stocking levels."

Sales trends

In 2021, winter tire shipments in the U.S. were at 3.6 million units in 2021, down from 3.9 million units in 2020, making up 1.6% of the tire replacement market, a slight decrease from 1.9% in 2020, according to data from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

At the same time, units of all-season tires increased — from 143.5 million in 2020 to 166.9 million in 2021, according to the USTMA.

If drivers are choosing an all-season or all-weather tire, they need to look for the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) symbol before leaving it on their vehicle for the winter, Fox said.

Without it, there's no guarantee that the tire will perform correctly in winter conditions, he said.

"The only classification is that it has to be black and round, and a manufacturer can call it an all-season tire," Fox said.

Fox said his stores, with three locations in Montana, also are seeing an increase in demand for studless tires, though the mountainous region means that plenty of drivers are still opting for the added traction of studs.

The first snow of the year is what often reminds drivers that it's time to switch tires or perhaps purchase new snow tires.

Clair & Dee's Rexburg is home to a Brigham-Young University-Idaho, a college populated with out-of-state students, many of whom have never driven in the snow, Cornelius said.

"Our body shops look forward to the first week of snow. It drives business to the doors," he said.

Investment

While snow tires aren't mandated in the U.S., the same way they are in Quebec, drivers in snow regions shouldn't view them as optional.

"It's actually an investment," Cornelius said.

It's more expensive than it used to be to repair body damage on a vehicle. And the ongoing pandemic combined with the Russian-Ukraine war means that purchasing a new, or even used car, is no longer a last-minute, spontaneous action. Vehicles are family investments, he said.

The industry should consider a campaign to urge drivers to invest in winter tires, he said.

Cost aside, it's a safety issue.

His shop's employees look at customers the way they would a child or grandchild they want to stay safe on the road, he said. That means purchasing the right tire for your vehicle and road conditions.

"It's better to be safe rather than sorry," Fox said.

"People spend $80,000 on a brand new vehicle, but they don't want to spend maybe $1,500 on a set of winter tires. It boggles my mind." "

It's not such a large investment, especially if you're hauling your family around," he added.