European winter tyre sales grow – what about Ireland?

While our third bad winter in a row didn’t materialise here in Ireland in the past year, European winter tyre sales increased to over 92 million.

A total of 73.8 million (+12.8 per cent) winter passenger car and 4×4 tyres were sold in Western Europe last year and a further 18.7 million (+10.7 per cent) in Central Europe.

Continental believes that last year’s sale of 92.5 million units is a ‘peak’ for winter tyres. Continental says it expects sales to stabilise at around 90 million by 2015. That’s more than 40 per cent of this sales, increasing by about 10 million year-on-year. This year, the German manufacturer anticipates that both the Western and Central European markets to grow.

A Continental spokesperson said: “Last year, around 23 million more tyres were sold in Europe than in 2007, the year before the economic and financial crisis. Market researchers at Continental calculated a figure of 218 million. At more than 90 million, winter tyres already make up .”

What about Ireland? Well there is no doubt that last winter tyre importers did get caught with winter tyres due to lower than expected demand because of the milder winter. It is doubtful that those importers will stock as many winter tyres this season.

However, our exceptionally wet spring and summer has strengthened the case for all-season tyres. From a distributors point of view, the risk of having to carry over large stocks of winter tyres, should not exist with all-season tyres. A good sales person will up-sell all-season tyres in all but the very best summer weather, which is very rare indeed.

In the next issue of the Tyre Trade Journal, we feature Winter and All-Season Tyres.