Focus on Industry
“If you look at what’s happening with EVs, it’s a cultural shift as well as a product shift and it made so much sense to create a flagship product that would address those challenges,” says Pereira.
Elvis Herra, store manager at Gutierrez Tire, a single-location dealership in Reno. Nev., says Sailun’s timing couldn’t be better. “Value brands are coming up. Their quality sometimes outperforms premium tires.” Herra, who runs Sailun tires on his personal vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, says his store is seeing “a lot more Teslas.”
Randy Kirksey, sales director for Harold’s Tire in Topeka, Kan. (foreground, with Chris Weir, regional sales director at National Tire Warehouse’s Austin, Texas, location) says his dealership has nearly tripled its sales of Sailun brand products.
Elvis Herra, store manager at Gutierrez Tire, a single-location dealership in Reno. Nev., says Sailun’s timing couldn’t be better. “Value brands are coming up. Their quality sometimes outperforms premium tires.” Herra, who runs Sailun tires on his personal vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, says his store is seeing “a lot more Teslas,” partially due to a nearby Tesla battery and component factory. “We’re going to promote the ERANGE EV.” End users continue to gravitate to less expensive tires, notes Chris Weir, regional sales director at NTW’s Austin, Texas, location. “Sailun is the brand we push when our dealers’ customers aren’t looking to pay a premium price, but want a solid,
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well-rounded tire,” he says. “I consider Sailun to be a premium tire without the premium price.” Randy Kirksey, sales director for Harold’s Tire, a two-location dealership in Topeka, Kan., has been selling Sailun tires for the past two years. “We were looking for another tire that people could afford that’s a good tire. It’s been great.” The company has nearly tripled its sales of Sailun brand products within the last year. Kirksey says it is part of a greater trend. “You still have die-hard people who want higher-end (tires) for their pickups and trucks, but with fuel prices being what they are,” more consumers are buying value products. Sticker shock has contributed to this, he adds. “We had a customer come in who bought tires from us a year ago and the tires were $88 a piece. That tire now is $130. People are like, ‘Why?’ We tell them we don’t control that end of the market with the price increases” that are happening. “There’s been a flight to value that I think got a shot in the arm” during COVID-19, says Pereira. “Speaking with some of our retailers and the guys behind the counter, you hear there’s a lot of optimism now, (demand) is growing and business has picked up again. But a lot of consumers have had to tighten their belts over the last two years.
“I think consumers right now are more open to trying a brand that might not have the same equity of other brands they have heard of. “But they still do their homework. We want to make sure we provide education to (tire dealerships’) counter staff so they can inform consumers. “We need to be in touch with the end user. Someone might walk into a tire store looking for an original equipment replacement, then see the price and wince a little bit. If they can save a few hundred dollars on a set of tires that can do the same thing” as a more expensive product, “it’s a no-brainer” for many consumers.
MORE TO COME
During the Miami event, Sailun officials also previewed other new products, including the Sailun SH408, an all-season tire that offers enhanced ice and snow traction. It will go into production later in 2022. Another tire, the Sailun Terramax RT, will be available next year in 36 sizes. The 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake-certified product “will be similar to the Terramax AT,” says Jared Lynch, Sailun’s vice president of sales. Sailun will provide additional dealer support, including track events, product training videos and digital marketing initiatives focused on social media and search engine optimization. MTD June 2022
5/26/22 7:51 PM
