Customers in the Atlanta, Ga., area will now be able to order Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. tires on-line starting this month.
Because of consumers' increasingly busy schedules, "the time-worn practice of making multiple visits to tire retailers to check brands and prices has given way to more on-line research," says Stephanie Wernet, director of e-commerce for Goodyear Tire North America.
Buyers log onto the tiremaker's www.goodyeartires.com Web site, select the right tires for their vehicles and enter their zip codes. Then the site directs them to the nearest Goodyear retailer.
"Once a retailer is selected, specific prices appear, and the customer knows his purchase price before deciding to complete the transaction," says Wernet.
If a purchase is made, information is sent to the specified retailer, who will mount the tires at a later date.
Twenty-five Goodyear retailers, including independent tire dealers and company-owned stores, will take part in the Atlanta program.
Goodyear said the program will last "for a limited time" but did not get more specific.
On-line tire purchasing has been available to Chicago, Ill., buyers in recent months through Goodyear's 27 Just Tires outlets in that region, according to company officials.
