The Independent Tire Dealers Group (ITDG) has launched a new online tool to help the group capture additional purchases that are currently made from suppliers outside of the ITDG program.
ITDG says current ITDG supplier purchases will grow concurrently with incremental throughput at additional ITDG member locations.
“The Independent Tire Dealers Group, LLC has launched a new ITDG Online intranet program allowing their members to access inventories of select members in different geographies across the country and order tires at the same time,” says Edward Long, vice president of sales and marketing.
“Over the past nine years, ITDG has succeeded in growing purchases through current members, adding new members as well as adding new vendor programs resulting in continued top line and bottom line growth for the group year over year.”
ITDG Online has been a collaborative member effort that began over a year ago and was lead by ITDG member and stockholder Clayton Miller at Mainstreet Tire USA in Colorado Springs, Colo. Miller worked closely with ITDG members and the software development company to create a straightforward online program that is easy to use and understand.
The program includes free local delivery when purchasing from a priority warehouse located in a member’s general area. ITDG Online will also calculate freight rates via FedEx Ground on small quantities and also calculate freight for LTL loads for larger quantities – all with a simple click of your computer mouse.
“ITDG online gives me more ways to communicate and work with my fellow members and grow my purchases through the group,” says Miller. “It means added volume-bonus and dividends at the end of the year for the members and also helps us become even more important to our suppliers with the ability to touch more ITDG members. Everybody wins in this scenario.”
ITDG began using the online software by beta testing with a few members last year and introduced the program to all members in the past few weeks.
“ITDG Online gives our members another option for buying two or four tires at a time inside the group regardless of their geography,” says Long. “And we already have members buying larger quantities that would have escaped the group last year.
"We have just begun to cultivate these capabilities that have been in the marketplace for many years. Our members are familiar with these types of programs; and coupled with the historical advantages of the ITDG program – our opportunities are boundless.”
The Independent Tire Dealers Group currently represents over 350 independent tire and auto service locations in 27 states.
For more information visit www.ITDGUSA.com.