Each week, The Pulse provides insight into the buying, sourcing and brand-loyalty habits of counter personnel and professional technicians. This week, using Babcox Research, we look at the consumer trends for specifying brand when purchasing tires.
Thirty-percent of consumers ask for a specific brand when purchasing tires, according to a 2007 Tire Review Dealer Profile survey.
These figures are similar to those seen in prior years, and suggest that relatively few tire buyers have a brand in mind when they enter the store. Those who do request a specific brand are often sold another brand. Fifty-eight percent of the 30 percent who initially request a certain brand will switch brands. This suggests that only about 18 percent of tire buyers are already decided on the brand they want to purchase, which leaves more than 80 percent of buyers who can be influenced by a salesperson to choose a different brand.
The survey also found that 20.2 percent of consumers will replace tires with same brand as OE.
For more information about Babcox Research, go to: http://www.babcox.com/marketing_research.html.