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Winter tire shop: The weather gods were merciful
A quick survey by the industry association VRÖ shows that the situation in the tire trade is tense, but not dramatic. In the winter business, the weather cooperated perfectly, so that a conversion rate to winter tires was 96%.
Winter tire shop: The weather gods were merciful
The Austrian Association of Tire Specialists (VRÖ) conducted a survey among its members to find out the current situation in the tire trade. The result is certainly encouraging; the winter tire business in 2020/2021 is not going that badly given the circumstances.
For passenger cars and commercial vehicles, tire sales and unit numbers so far in the winter season have been below the previous year. However, given the Corona crisis, this was to be expected. And after all: the survey stated an average replacement rate for winter tires of 96%. The weather has been perfect so far. A cold snap came at just the right time. October 2020 was damp and cloudy and relatively cool, especially in the mountains. According to the ZAMG (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics), the number of hours of sunshine this year was 27% below the long-term average.
Outlook: Behavioral, but not dramatic
For 83% of the companies surveyed, the yield was below the previous year, but for 17% it was even slightly better than in 2019. When looking at the rest of the 2020/21 winter tire season, 50% of the companies expect sales for passenger cars to be at the previous year's level with lower quantities, and consequently 50% of the companies ultimately expect the same yield as in 2019.
The assessments in the commercial vehicle sector are more positive. A total of 67% of the companies expect the same or slightly increasing sales figures. The number of units at 50% of the companies is estimated to have increased slightly or remained the same as in the previous year. At least 17% expect a slight increase in unit numbers; in the passenger car sector, not a single company expects higher unit numbers. When it comes to earnings expectations, however, only 40% of companies in the commercial vehicle sector give the previous year's level as a forecast value and 60% expect slightly worse earnings figures. However, no one expects dramatic drops in tire yield of more than 5% in the commercial vehicle sector, and at least 16% for passenger car tires.