etyres is the registered Internet trade name of Fleet Mobile Tyres Ltd.

The business was established in 1992, offering a completely mobile service to the "business-to-business" sector. The company quickly established itself as a regular supplier to large fleet, lease and contract hire organisations. These companies soon realised that a mobile tyre and battery service was much more convenient, and that lower prices could be achieved by traditional tyre depots. Over the years the business has seen spectacular growth in the fleet tyre market.

etyres was launched in 1997. The combination of on-line ordering and an established business with low overheads has proved a winning formula. The etyres business model operates profitably with gross margins that are a fraction of those required by traditional tyre depots. Our branch overheads are the running and replacement costs of the vans and some telephone charges. They avoid rent, rates, light, heat, insurance on a stock inventory of up to £½m. equipment, car ramps, waiting areas etc.

No wonder etyres is miles cheaper.

To pass this major cost saving message to our Customers etyres was the first national tyre retailer to publish and update a price comparison. Leading motoring correspondents of the national press and automotive magazines agree that our pricing is over 30% cheaper than other tyre organisations and traditional tyre depots. A survey by The Independent newspaper quoted an all inclusive fully fitted price for a Pirelli 195/65/15/V P6000. ATS £71.81, Central Tyre £77.76, Kwik-Fit £84.49, The etyres price was £59.90.

However this is not an exact comparison because our mobile fitting service is far more convenient.

A major factor that has contributed to our success is the level of care taken by our colleagues at our individual branches. These are staffed by people who share a common goal of achieving the highest possible standards of Customer service. They are fully trained and highly motivated. Our network now covers over 70% of the UK and is growing rapidly.

All national chains of tyre depots control their businesses by monitoring sales turnover. Our Branch number one KPI is the repeat business level. As a privately owned company we have the luxury of not being solely driven by short term profitability. Our main objective is always the long term growth of the business. So we don't just pay lip service to Customer care; we concentrate on it. Even at the expense of short term profit.

etyres is a complete solution. Customers order tyres or batteries on-line or if they prefer they can telephone our Call Centre on our free-phone 0800 028 9000. We quote an all inclusive fitted price, with no hidden extras. We agree a fitting time at the chosen fitting location. Our local colleagues arrive and fit the battery or fit and balance the tyres.

We are specialists in high performance and 4/4 tyres as well the latest generation of Run Flat tyres. We supply and fit for cars and light commercial vehicles. We use the latest equipment to ensure perfect fitting and balancing. We regularly review our fuel policy to reduce our carbon emissions. Many of our vans use LPG and we anticipate that we will increasingly use bio diesel.

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The UK tyres market Summer 2008

Huge increases in the price of oil, combined with the Credit Crunch, have produced a serious decline in business confidence. The housing market is experiencing the worst conditions for many years. Estate Agents are struggling to cover their overheads. Major national house builders have completely stopped work on their sites. Commercial property prices in most areas have been severely hit. UK unemployment figures are rising and consumer confidence is evaporating at an alarming rate. Most business analysts predict a worsening situation.

The UK tyre market, although supplying a virtually recession-proof product, will also see a reduction in demand because, as fuel prices rise to record levels, cars will be driven more slowly to conserve fuel. Consequently tyre wear is reduced. However when sales of new cars decline, as is happening, the replacement tyre market increases because, although the number of tyres manufactured remains the same, every new car represents lost sales to the tyre retailers. The result is therefore that the total number of tyres sold remains pretty much the same.

UK consumers are now even more highly motivated to look for savings on essential purchases. And the Internet is the most obvious place to look to make savings on almost everything. Tyres are no exception. As the UK's leading on-line tyre retailer etyres is seeing massive sales increases.

Recent industry research has identified this trend. Which Magazine further supported this in their June Car supplement when readers were recommended to "Tyres: Buy online. This is increasing in popularity, as it can save you money and hassle. Some online retailers will fit the tyres at a time and place to suit you (such as your home or workplace) " They must have been talking about us!

However while the UK market for tyres remains fairly recession-proof, the traditional tyre depots are seeing huge increases in their operating costs. So they have been forced to raise their prices, as evidenced by the report. On the other hand etyres, like other Internet retailers of tyres, has managed to further reduce our prices through the economies of scale and increased buying power.

By reducing prices in this way we are rapidly winning market share from traditional tyre depots. They can see this happening but they are saddled with the high overheads of their depots so they cannot match our aggressive tyres pricing. This industry trend has been highlighted in a recent report by Plimsoll Publishing Group who's June report makes disturbing reading for the tyre depot operators. Plimsoll's market analysis states that we are outperforming the big players.