The 2,200-plus tire and automotive service centers owned and operated by Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC (BSRO) have signed on to provide data for the GfK Group's point-of-sale (POS) tire panel in the U.S.
Through the GfK panel, tire retailers and manufacturers for the first time will have access to information on sales and other key metrics from outlets throughout the country. Retailers can use this data to benchmark and optimize their performance.
Custom and syndicated reports from the tire panel database also will allow manufacturers to make more informed decisions about product development, promotional support, inventory management, and marketing, based on critical sell-through trends in the U.S. replacement tire channel.
In addition to the BSRO locations — which operate under the Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus, and Wheelworks store brands —GfK has recruited more than 1,000 independent U.S. tire stores to the panel, which will launch in early 2017.
“Throughout my career in consumer packaged goods, point-of-sale data and national trends information were essential drivers of our decision making for product development, marketing, and promotion,” says TJ Higgins, president of the integrated consumer tire group for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC. “We see the GfK point-of-sale panel and database as game changers for the tire industry. We are excited to work with GfK on this project as they have a track record of building the highest quality panels and making marketplaces more efficient.”
Neil Portnoy, managing director of GfK’s POS tracking business in North America, says, “In the past 21 months, I have traveled to 39 states, meeting with tire dealers to help them understand the value GfK’s information will provide. This is a dynamic, complex industry full of smart people — but you can only be so efficient without clear data to guide you. I am confident that GfK’s panel will help retailers and manufacturers alike compete and win in today’s marketplace.”
GfK already operates POS tire retail panels in 29 countries globally, and will bring the same approaches to coding and tracking to the U.S. market, allowing direct comparison of global metrics. GfK also maintains U.S. POS panels representing more than 11,000 pet specialty retail outlets and more than 33,000 contact lens merchants.
For more information about GfK, visit www.gfk.com, or check out this link:
