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“It seems that the driver was not discouraged from timely changing by the lockdown or the increase in tire prices, which is clearly positive news for road safety,” said Vojtěch Schwangmaier, director of Pneumatiky.cz. According to him, the good news is that drivers continue to prefer proven brands. The best-selling brands are led by Barum, Nokian, Michelin and Continental.
According to surveys by the Czech brand Barum, drivers do not underestimate changing to winter tires and more than 70 percent of them change their tires well in advance and regardless of the weather.
According to Schwangmaier, a record year-on-year increase of 13 percent due to production outages and a weakening of the koruna fell on Czech drivers at the worst possible time. In the survey, 36 percent of them admit that their incomes have fallen as a result of coronavirus. In addition, every tenth driver had a problem finding suitable tires this year. In addition, a third of drivers have seen an increase in the size they put on their car.
While in 2018 people spent an average of CZK 6,400 on a set of tires, last year it was CZK 100 more and this year it is already CZK 7,200. “Due to the weakening of the koruna against the euro, buying tires from foreign suppliers is more expensive. On March 5, the exchange rate was 25.3 CZK per euro, today it is 27.3 CZK per euro and it cannot be said that it should improve in the coming weeks, “said Vojtěch Schwangmaier.
According to Schwangmaier, a well-stocked retailer has enough goods in stock to cover about 60 percent of sales. However, the remaining 40 percent during the season is replenished as needed by the manufacturer or supplier. However, suppliers do not have enough tires available this year and if so, at a higher price than usual. Due to the uncertain situation, there are fewer pre-supplied sellers this year than usual.
According to Schwangmaier, a significant influx of customers from brick-and-mortar stores to e-shops was already observable in the spring, and the winter season of shoeing intensified this trend. However, this places high demands on carriers, who handle more orders than ever before in times of government restrictions. “If you hesitate to buy, the goods can arrive instead of the next day with a delay of several days. As the Christmas rush slowly approaches, the situation will worsen, “added Schwangmaier.
Interest in all-season tires has grown significantly this year. In September and October, they accounted for almost seven percent of orders, which is two percentage points more than in previous years. “The number of all-season tires sold is growing steadily every year, but growth has been very slow until this year. In this respect, the Czech market to some extent copies the Polish market, where there is even more interest in all-season tires this year than in our country, ”added Schwangmaier. Drivers are interested in all-season tires because of the convenience of not having to change twice a year (33 percent), cost savings for the second set of tires (27 percent) and the milder winters of recent years (22 percent).
The use of winter tires is mandatory in the Czech Republic in the period from 1 November to 31 March if the vehicle is driven on a continuous layer of snow, ice or ice, or if a special traffic sign so requires. According to the manufacturer Bridgestone, this legislative requirement is justified, because winter tires gain over summer even when temperatures drop below seven degrees. Their special mixture retains its softness and flexibility even in cold weather.
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